BN leaders told to stop talking about Ketuanan Melayu

By Shannon Teoh

(Themalaysianinsider) KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 9 — Barisan Nasional (BN) chairman Datuk Seri Abdullah Badawi today asked leaders of the ruling coalition’s component parties to stop commenting on race relations.

Instead, they should discuss any grievances behind closed-doors, a number of BN leaders told The Malaysian Insider after the coalition’s supreme council meeting today.

MCA deputy president Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek, who has himself recently been embroiled in controversy over his remarks about Ketuanan Melayu, or Malay supremacy, said Abdullah had called on party leaders to discuss racially sensitive issues within BN.

“The PM said not to even talk about things that are considered sensitive,” he told The Malaysian Insider.

Dr Chua had said recently that while non-Malays accepted Malay leadership they did not accept the concept of Ketuanan Melayu.

This sparked off protests from some Umno leaders and Malay nationalist groups.

Gerakan president Tan Sri Koh Tsu Koon, who also attended today’s BN meeting, said Abdullah had asked that such matters be discussed in depth within BN meetings where leaders could express themselves openly.

Abdullah, who is also Umno president, was also asked to comment on racial tensions in a press conference after the meeting, especially with regards to UmnoYouth chief candidate Datuk Mukhriz Mahathir’s recent suggestion for vernacular schools to be abolished.

Abdullah replied that many sensitive issues were brought up but declined to elaborate.

“We are open, but we understand that as we are in a big party, we practice collective responsibility,” said Abdullah.

Since the March general elections, there has been incessant debate on issues such as Malay rights, Ketuanan Melayu and the need for the liberalisation of the country’s affirmative action policies.

The Pakatan Rakyat (PR) alliance has been championing what it refers to as Ketuanan Rakyat, or the supremacy of the people, and pointing out that if it came to power it would implement policies which would extend aid to all Malaysians.

The roiling debate on race relations, especially with regards to the concept of Malay Supremacy, has been making headlines of late.

It has resulted in several Malay rulers, constitutionally the guardians of Malay and Muslim matters, breaking their normal silence on politically-charged matters, to make statements on the position of Malay rulers, race relations and the social contract.