The topic of race-based politics is a controversial one, with many Malaysians having polarising opinions on this issue. While our current government largely champions inclusivity, many other politicians think race-based politics can also be beneficial for the country. Yes, beneficial.
According to the Malay Mail, Youth Chief of the Malaysian Indian Congress (MIC) and Cameron Highlands MP Datuk C. Sivarraajh stated that his party could still make a comeback in politics after their loss in the 14th General Election (GE14) and that race-based politics wasn’t so bad. He said in an interview with the daily,
“Saying that MIC will never ever be able to make a comeback is impossible. I feel that depends largely on how the party is going to react and rebuild after the loss in the last general election.”
Source: The Sun Daily
He also brought up race-based politics, stating that they aren’t so bad as long as they are rooted in nationalism. Datuk Sivarraajh added that race-based politics would still be relevant in the next few elections, saying,
“I totally acknowledge that the youths today have shown the tendency to [reject] race-based policies, but I believe that race-based politics is not as bad as it’s being portrayed.”
“To be honest, I still somehow believe that race-based politics will play a role in the next elections. It is not due to politics solely, but due to the deep-rooted sense of nationalism among many ordinary Malaysians.”
Source: Wikimedia Commons
On top of that, he pointed out that Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (PPBM) and the Democratic Action Party (DAP) were made up of predominantly Malay and Chinese members despite their efforts to promote inclusion.
However, Datuk Sivarraajh added that “middle-path based politics” is needed nowadays, saying that the party needed to adapt by repackaging its direction.
What are your thoughts on the MIC Youth Chief’s statement? Let us know in the comments below!
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