Malaysia may face racial polarization, says DAP leader<\/p>\n
KUALA LUMPUR (AP): Warning that fresh attempts to unite ethnic
\nMalays could alienate Malaysia's minority races, ethnic Chinese
\nopposition leaders slammed Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad's
\nparty on Thursday for excluding them from proposed talks on
\nnational unity.<\/p>\n
Kerk Kim Hock, secretary-general of the Democratic Action
\nParty, or DAP, said planned discussions between Mahathir and
\nsenior Malay opposition leaders would "arouse some suspicion from
\nthe Chinese community."<\/p>\n
"We don't consider such talks appropriate," Kerk told The
\nAssociated Press. "The call for Malay unity does not go in tandem
\nwith the Malaysian people's aspirations at this time."<\/p>\n
A string of national controversies -- which include Chinese
\nconcerns over a new school system and calls to revamp special
\nprivileges for the Malay majority -- have rattled race relations
\nover the past year.<\/p>\n
Government officials have acknowledged that the rift between
\nthe Malay and Chinese communities must be addressed. But Mahathir
\ninsisted last week that his ruling party's priority was settling
\nconflicts among Muslim Malays, who comprise more than half of
\nMalaysia's 22 million people.<\/p>\n
Deputy Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi said Wednesday the
\nruling United Malays National Organization, or UMNO, will ask
\nMahathir to hold unprecedented talks with his ethnic Malay arch-
\nfoes in the opposition.<\/p>\n
"It is the Malays that stand to benefit. That is the important
\nthing," Abdullah said. "Please remember that Malay unity has
\nalways been the basis for national unity."<\/p>\n
But the DAP, which is the sole ethnic Chinese group in
\nMalaysia's four-party opposition coalition, says UMNO's proposal
\nis a ploy to boost its own flagging popularity.<\/p>\n
"There is a question of racial polarization here. We must be
\ncareful not to sacrifice our decades of nation-building," said
\nLim Kit Siang, the DAP's national chairman.<\/p>\n
Mahathir, who is visiting Myanmar through Jan. 9, is expected
\nto agree to meet with Fadzil Noor, president of the Pan-Malaysian
\nIslamic Party, or PAS, and Azizah Ismail, head of the National
\nJustice Party and wife of jailed politician Anwar Ibrahim.<\/p>\n
Malaysia's longtime ruler commanded most Malays' support for
\nnearly two decades -- until he fired Anwar as his deputy in
\nSeptember 1998. Anwar was arrested on charges of corruption and
\nsodomy.<\/p>\n
Anwar's conviction on both charges and prison sentences
\ntotaling 15 years angered many Malays who believe that Mahathir
\nframed his erstwhile protege to prevent a political challenge.
\nOver the past year, UMNO leaders have redoubled efforts to win
\nback Malay allegiances, often at the cost of offending ethnic
\nChinese and Indian minorities, who make up nearly 40 percent of
\nMalaysians.<\/p>\n
Despite Chinese objections, the party has vowed to press on
\nwith a project that will put schools for ethnic Malay, Chinese
\nand Indian students under one roof. Many Chinese fear this will
\nerode their culture and undermine the unique traits of their
\nentrenched education system.<\/p>",
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