RACE-BASED PARTIES

1. Why is it that the political parties in Malaysia are race-based? The answer is that Malaysians insist on retaining their identification with their countries of origin.

2. This is not so in other multiracial countries. The migrants from other countries, upon accepting citizenship adopt the language, culture and loyalties to their adopted countries completely. They get fully assimilated after one or two generations.

3. But in Malaysia the migrants, despite being citizens insist not only on being recognised as of different origins from the indigenous people but are physically separated through their economic functions and their political affiliations.

4. Pejuang is race-based. It is a Malay party. It has to be because it expects to contest against UMNO, a Malay party. And it expects to do this in the rural areas where the population is largely Malay. These people would not support a multiracial party. In the absence of any other Malay party, the rural people will vote for UMNO. Besides UMNO is rich and rural Malays are poor. Money means a lot to them. Pejuang is the alternative.

5. There are issues but race and money are more important.

6. Pejuang has no money. It depends on race and its anti-corruption campaign.

7. As long as we retain our identification with our countries of origin, politics and political parties in Malaysia will remain racial.