KUALA LUMPUR – Former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad’s recent racially charged remarks should be seen as a step in his “last ditch effort” to stage a comeback, said the deputy law minister.
M. Kulasegaran, the deputy minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (law and institutional reform), asserted that there could be ulterior motives behind Dr Mahathir’s “divisive” comments.
“(Since Dr Mahathir) is known for his shrewd moves in Malaysia’s political chess game, I believe his divisive rhetoric possibly sheds light on his desperate political agenda,” Kulasegaran said in a Facebook post.
“(What Dr Mahathir) intends to do is simple; first, he aims to divide the nation by using inflammatory language that targets specific racial or ethnic groups, playing on existing tensions or fears within the people.
“Then, he makes one group scapegoats (where) he blames one ethnic group for societal problems, economic challenges or other issues that can be used to create a common enemy or rally support against them,” he added.
Kulasegaran, who is also DAP’s Ipoh Barat MP, went on to say that Dr Mahathir was attempting to gain “political support” by playing on the people’s prejudices.
“Then he makes his last ditch effort to (stage) a comeback,” the deputy minister said.
Besides that, Kulasegaran said that, as someone who had previously served in Dr Mahathir’s cabinet during Pakatan Harapan’s first stint in Putrajaya, the latter’s “bigotry” remarks against minority communities here were “saddening but not surprising”.
He also said that Dr Mahathir appeared to be in need of a plan to endear himself to voters after he suffered a crushing loss during the 15th general election.
During the election in 2022, Dr Mahathir, a former two-time prime minister, lost his election deposit in his bid for the Langkawi parliamentary seat, garnering only 4,566 out of 48,123 votes in a five-cornered contest.
“Contrary to Dr Mahathir’s assertions, the loyalty of Malaysian Indians to the country is unwavering,” Kulasegaran said.
“Using racism and bigotry to win political support is an unethical and divisive strategy that exploits people’s prejudices for personal or political gain.
“While it can be effective in the short term, it can have severe consequences for social cohesion, tolerance, and the overall well-being of a nation.
“Do not let Dr Mahathir win, because then Malaysia loses,” he warned.
In an interview with Chennai-based Thanthi TV recently, Dr Mahathir not only referred to Malaysian Indians and Chinese as immigrants but also stated that they should not call themselves Malaysians unless they identified as Malays.
He also said that since Malaysian Indians did not speak Malay as their mother tongue, nor practise Malay culture, customs or traditions, they should not refer to Malaysia as their home country.
He added that his “problem” was when “immigrants” (Malaysian Indians and Chinese) claimed the country as their own while professing their own cultures and customs. – January 15, 2024