I read an article on Malaysia Today. The headline read “DAP Makes Tunku Abdul Aziz vice-chairman”.

Its interesting to note that the DAP building and rebranding itself as a multiracial party. I think that the he party was probably born on the principles of a multi-racial, equal party for all regardless of race, religion or beliefs.

However, just like Gerakan (and I’m not trying to be racist), the majority of the party’s membership is made up of Chinese.

Just look at the DAP’s newly elected Central Executive Committee line-up

DAP Central Executive Committee

Chairman: Karpal Singh

Deputy Chairman: Dr Tan Seng Giaw

Vice Chairman: M. Kula Segaran, Chow Kon Yeow, Teresa Kok, Tunku Abdul Aziz

Secretary-General: Lim Guan Eng

Deputy Secretary-General: Prof P. Ramasamy, Chong Eng, Ngeh Koo Ham

National Treasurer: Fong Kui Lun

Assistant National Treasurer: Nga Kor Meng

National Organising Secretary: Tan Kok Wai

Assistant National Organising Secretary: Vincent Wu

National Publicity Secretary: Tony Pua

Assistant National Publicity Secretary: Teoh Nie Ching

Political Education Secretary: Anthony Loke

Assistant Political Education Secretary: Jeff Ooi Chuan Aun

International Secretary: Liew Chin Tong

Education Bureau: Chong Eng

Education (Chinese) Bureau: Sim Tong Him

Education (Tamil) Bureau: M. Manogaran

Labour Bureau: A. Sivanesan

Out of the 23 announced names, only 1 is a Malay, 5 Indians, and 17 are Chinese. This translates into a4.3% Malay, 21.7% Indian and 73% Chinese.

How can this be called being multi-racial when the composition is very imbalanced? What about the other ethnic groups from Sabah and Sarawak? Don’t they have a right to be elected into the CEC as to better reflect the true Malaysian composition? On top of that, there isn’t a Malay Education Bereau.

Let me make it clear that I am NOT being racist. I think that just by electing a Malay guy into the CEC does not make a party multi-racial. That would be like UMNO electing 1 Chinese and 1 Indian to hold the 1 of 3 Vice-President posts. Not all Malay muslims would subscribe to the idealogy of a Secular Malaysian state. And not many Malays are ready for a Malaysian Malaysia. Only until wealth is equally shared among all Malaysians, no racist employment requirements are spelled out in a job requirement, vernecular schools are abolished, would the Malays and Bumiputeras are ready to let go of the Bumiputera special rights in the Constitution.

Until all that is discarded, a true multi-racial political system is a far fetched dream. Take a look at the states…it took them 250 years since their independance from Britian to allow an African-American to run the presidential campaign. It took 250 years or 8 1/2 generations, to build the institutions and the mindset for Americans to accept this new change, but not all Americans can or are ready to embrace change.

Aren’t we being overly optimistic by trying to change many things in just 51 years since 1957?

Iqba Abd Ghaffar