PKR Penang’s Dr. Mansor Othman: Avoid Racist Politics ala UMNO-Barisan Nasional
www.malaysiakini.com
April 30, 2009
Mansor steers away from outdated politics
by Athi Veeranggan
Pakatan Rakyat candidate for the Penanti by-election Mansor Othman wants to give a new dimension and perspective to Malay leadership in Penang, away from the stereotype racist politics ala Barisan Nasional.
If elected as an assemblyperson and subsequently appointed as Penang Deputy Chief Minister 1, he stressed he would not be just another typical Malay leader embarking on communal politics. Mansor said he would provide a different vision of Malay leadership under the Pakatan state government by representing and carrying out beneficial programmes for all communities, especially the needy and underprivileged people.
He rejected the BN’s racial-based policies, in which a Malay leader would only take care of his community, a Chinese for Chinese and an Indian for Indians, as an outdated stereotyped politics that would only take the Penang backwards.
“Communal politics would do more harm and than good to the state and nation. I want to move away from it and be a Malay leader focusing on programmes to help all, not just Malays,” said Mansor, the PKR’s Penang deputy chief and national election machinery director.
He pointed out that UMNO-led BN governance style of divide and rule based on ethnicity was rapidly becoming an endangered species in the current political climate.
Mansor foresees that the concept of sharing and caring for all, with all and by all espoused by his party, the PKR and Pakatan coalition would be the future political fundamentals. “We in Pakatan are definitely moving away from racial based politics. “We must drive the country away from BN and UMNO style of communal politics. I will surely provide a new dimension and perspective to Malay leadership and politics in Penang,” he told Malaysiakini in an exclusive interview yesterday.
If he were to become the next DCM 1, Mansor assured that he would tackle heads on the UMNO concoction that “Penang Malays have been neglected”. “I would to address and resolve the problem,” he said.
Rates a good chance of winning
He said he was looking forward to work closely with Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng to assist the state government to resolve various pressing issues such as housing, education and poverty. “I will compliment Lim and reduce his burden in administrative works,” said the former associate professor from Universiti Sains Malaysia.
When announcing party candidature for Penanti by-election, PKR supremo Anwar Ibrahim said Mansor was chosen to contest Penanti “due to his strong academic credentials, political background and administrative experience”.
“We need him to assist the chief minister to carry out the state administrative task efficiently and effectively,” said Anwar. Mansor was among the founding member of PKN, the predecessor of PKR, in 1999 and was first and longest serving Penang party chief. If elected, Anwar said Mansor would be the party nominee for the vacant DCM 1 and an executive councillor post to fulfil the PKR quota in the DAP-led state government.
Both positions fell vacant when incumbent Mohammad Fairus Khairuddin resigned effective April 8 after he was embroiled in a graft investigation by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC).
And on April 16 Fairus resigned as assemblyperson for Penanti, which comes under Anwar’s Permatang Pauh parliamentary constituency, a PKR stronghold.
Polling is on Sunday, May 31 and nomination falls on Saturday, May 23,2009.
Prior to Penanti, Mansor has lost all his electoral battles – to Zain Omar in the Balik Pulau parliamentary duel in 1999, to Ariff Shah Omar Shah in Seberang Jaya state seat contest in 2004 and to Muhammad Farid Saad by 2004 in Pulau Betong state constituency. But this time he is confident of finally breaking the duck and securing his first electoral victory. Despite UMNO’s delay in deciding whether or not to contest Penanti, he expects the party to finally field a strong candidate to challenge him.
“It’s not UMNO’s style not to contest,” said Mansor, who rated his chances at 60-40 given that Penanti is the territory of Anwar and PKR, and the people’s general mood for a change.
“But I am not over confident nor complacent.We have to work hard and ensure a big win,” he stressed.
BN is in a drunken state entrenched in an enigmatic make believe world of its own, desolated and appears more delusive each passing day at the realities that inhabit its surroundings.
Subsequent defeats in recent by-elections has not permitted
Najib and cohorts to rid off themselves of a bad political hangover
Now its revealingly apparent BNs political shelf life is nearing expiry .
All Pakatan needs to do is to remain sober and put up candidates against theirs in elections to come.
Danildaud - April 30, 2009 at 3:27 pm
If you do not want racial politics to dominate, the issue of race should never crop up at all. No one should be talking of Malay leadership, Chinese leadership and Indian leadership and Islam because the moment you do that then you are back to the same old politics of race and religion. How different then is PKR, DAP and PAS? They are no different then the party or parties they seek to oust from power.
You don’t find Americans formally seeking office or competing for leadership positions based on their ethnicity and religion. Vote me because I am Irish and Catholic or I am German and a Protestant or Jew etc. There isn’t one party for the Irish and another for the Germans or native Americans. We are all Americans.
That, of course, does not mean that Americans have done away with race. You cannot do away with race. No one can. We are continually being made aware of our racial origins by the way we look and behave. Race and religion do continue to play a part, such as when a Jew chooses to go to an outlet selling only kosher food or a Muslim who dines only at a restaurant selling only halal food. Beyond that most Americans would like to think race has no relevance in their everyday life. Even if they are racists they are afraid to admit that they are.
There are laws to remind Americans that there is no place for race in public life. Is there such a law in Malaysia? Will PKR-PR put into place laws which will prohibit racial discrimination at the work place? I have not heard Anwar saying that.
Mr Bean - April 30, 2009 at 10:30 pm
Mr Bean,
Politics in Malaysia in only 50years old. Malaysia is in its own country never to be compared with America or any where else.
We are unique our history is unique.
We are now moving slowly from racial politics into SATU MALAYSIA. Not everybody is ready for such when you have population from way back as far as 1930s, 1940s, 1957, 1960s, 1970s, 1980s, 2000 till 2009.
I myself a Malay facing this period a limbo with my own race.
I have moved away advancing from SATU MALAYSIA into a NON PARTISON PERSON yet PAS PKR ppl in my kampung cannot accept me becoz i have no party, i left UMNO, yet i m viewed a suspicious person though i m trying to contribute social work.
You got to access the 41% Malay population in Penang when is TKM1 comes from a non-Malay. Its not easy to implement tlike what you think becoz the hatred Malays have towards the Gerakan for cornering the Malays at what we are now in all sectors is damaging for decades to come. This is the cost BN pays for GE2008 for having considered ONE race party to run this state with UMNO’s nose tied the past four decades and never listen to poor Malay rakyat voices.
Dont compare to Americans, they too took hundreds of years to
total bann slavery into what they are now and please discrimination still exist but they do not broadcast to the world.
Dont compare to Korea, their Democrats and Liberals can work together in one government without suspicious, becoz they came long way.
Give Malaysia time to move and change.
At least Anwar Ibrahim has started the ball rolling. Damage done by Gerakan/UMNO to Malays in Penang must be corrected so that PR can continue to win next GE becoz Malays still at high % voters.
PR must work a mechanism to bring up the Malays, Indians and Chinese at par at least in per capita income, not too wide apart in comparison.
We mould & move our way, the Malaysian way.
Thank you.
Atila - May 27, 2009 at 2:25 am