It is time that race based politics and policies should have no place in Malaysia

Press Statement by M Kula Segaran, DAP National Vice Chairman and MP for Ipoh Barat in Ipoh on 15th July, 2015

It is time that race based politics and policies should have no place in Malaysia

The Low Yat mob incident not only shocked the nation but it also stained the nation’s international reputation. 

Malaysians were terribly shocked that a simple clear cut theft incident could become a mob incident which threatened to turn into a race riot. 

There are many questions that need to be looked at and reflected upon. I have two questions.

Firstly, despite the police having announced that the incident was a clear cut theft incident, how could internet lies and provocations spread like wild fire and easily believed?

Why has the police’s explanation such low public credibility and acceptance? 

Secondly, Kuala Lumpur Police Headquarters is located not far from where the mob incident took place, yet it was quite obvious that there was not sufficient police personnel initially to prevent or stop the violence. So what went wrong? 

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak said he has instructed inspector-general of police Tan Sri Khalid Abu Bakar to ensure that the Low Yat Plaza incident does not recur.

He added that the incident should be seen as a criminal matter and not a racial issue.

The cause of incident certainly was not racial at all, but the mob incident in the KL streets was a racism issue. 

As the Prime Minister, Najib should address the question that Malaysians are most concerned about—how could a simple theft incident be turned into a racial issue simply because of internet lies and provocations? 

I am sure Najib himself knows the answer, just like many Malaysians know the answer.

The fact is despite the fact that the nation has achieved independence since 1957, racial unity is still fragile. Decades of BN rule has not strengthened race relations but has in fact further divided the people. 

And the root cause is due to the race based politics and policies practiced by BN and Umno.

It is time that race based politics and policies should have no place in Malaysia.