KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 23 — The MCA today backed a federal minister’s bid to remove the “race” category from official forms, calling it a pointless exercise.

“There is no need to put in the race category unless it serves a certain function,” MCA president Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai told reporters here.

“We need to move away from this. MCA supports the push for a Malaysian (identity),” he added.

Tan Sri Joseph Kurup urged Putrajaya to remove the “race” category from official forms yesterday, to help in its bid to form a unified nation.

The minister in charge of national unity also lamented that Malaysians are still divided by their racial and religious identities.

“Maybe it’s time we remove the need to state our race on any form in the country. But it is up to the council members who are more learned to suggest this to the Government,” Kurup was quoted as saying by  English daily The Star.

He made the suggestion yesterday while launching the National Unity Consultative Council’s (NUCC) first dialogue session.

Kurup also noted the divide in historical interpretation between Malaysians in East and West Malaysia, which remains unresolved even  50 years after the federation was formed.

The NUCC dialogue yesterday saw 30 NGOs representatives present, discussing issues ranging from racial politics, national language, migrant workers, to the welfare of the Orang Asli.

Accused of being  unfit to spearhead efforts to establish a National Unity Blueprint, the fledgling NUCC has shrugged off the criticism, saying it can only prove its sceptics wrong through its work, which is already underway.

This comes as Malay rights group Perkasa denounced the 30-man panel for purportedly having members with an “anti-nationalist” bent.

The NUCC was formed last November 30, after a slew of issues and statements that touched on racial sensitivities that followed a fractious national election in early May.

A large range of prominent personalities widely known for their moderate views were appointed to the panel, including PAS’ Parit Buntar MP Dr Mujahid Yusof Rawa, former Deputy Higher Education Minister Datuk Saifuddin Abdullah and social activist Datin Paduka Marina Mahathir.