reported at Malaysiakini.com
A Kedah delegate to the PKR Youth congress called on members of the wing to live up to their to multiracial tag and eliminate racism in themselves.
Khairul Nizam Mohd Razali, from Padang Serai, said he had been raised since childhood with all sorts of stereotypes and presumptions about other ethnic communities.
Among these was the belief that the Chinese store weapons in their houses and, therefore, pose danger to the security and safety of the Malays, he said.
He was also told that when a Chinese dies, his or her identity card is kept so that it can be taken up by a migrant from mainland China, who are “coming in droves to seize this country away from us”.
However, Khairul said his involvement in the reformasi movement and activism with PKR members and activists from other ethnic communities have allowed him to see that such notions are false.
He said these falsehoods were created and perpetuated by Umno and Barisan Nasional’s other component parties in order to keep the communities divided and distrustful of each other.
“This is among the political games of Umno and BN to scare Malays. They give us sweeping statements about other communities. But what have they done for us? What have they given to us up until now?
“They have given us only propaganda. The MCA would tell the Chinese that if they enter PAS, they have to be circumcised.
"Indians are told that if they join the opposition parties, they cannot drink alcohol.”
Urging party members of all races to confront these and other myths and erase them from their minds, Khairul said: “If we do not do this, how can we expect the people behind us to do so? If we can do this, then the whole country will fall to us.”
About 600 Youth delegates responded with shouts of approval and applause.
Meanwhile, PKR Youth has urged the leaders of the five Pakatan Rakyat-led states to honour the opposition front’s election pledge to get rid of ‘Barisan Nasional elements’ in their administration.
“The people want us to have a total clean-out to eliminate the influence and corrupt practice of BN-Umno in the states,” Youth chief Shamsul Iskandar Md Akin said.
“PKR Youth reminds the Pakatan state governments not to waver or to cite 1,001 excuses. The ‘clean-out’ of BN elements must be done without any delay.”
Source: Malaysiakini
Links:
'Let's erase the racism within'
'Rid Pakatan-led states of BN elements'
Khairul Nizam Mohd Razali, from Padang Serai, said he had been raised since childhood with all sorts of stereotypes and presumptions about other ethnic communities.
Among these was the belief that the Chinese store weapons in their houses and, therefore, pose danger to the security and safety of the Malays, he said.
He was also told that when a Chinese dies, his or her identity card is kept so that it can be taken up by a migrant from mainland China, who are “coming in droves to seize this country away from us”.
However, Khairul said his involvement in the reformasi movement and activism with PKR members and activists from other ethnic communities have allowed him to see that such notions are false.
He said these falsehoods were created and perpetuated by Umno and Barisan Nasional’s other component parties in order to keep the communities divided and distrustful of each other.
“This is among the political games of Umno and BN to scare Malays. They give us sweeping statements about other communities. But what have they done for us? What have they given to us up until now?
“They have given us only propaganda. The MCA would tell the Chinese that if they enter PAS, they have to be circumcised.
"Indians are told that if they join the opposition parties, they cannot drink alcohol.”
Urging party members of all races to confront these and other myths and erase them from their minds, Khairul said: “If we do not do this, how can we expect the people behind us to do so? If we can do this, then the whole country will fall to us.”
About 600 Youth delegates responded with shouts of approval and applause.
Meanwhile, PKR Youth has urged the leaders of the five Pakatan Rakyat-led states to honour the opposition front’s election pledge to get rid of ‘Barisan Nasional elements’ in their administration.
“The people want us to have a total clean-out to eliminate the influence and corrupt practice of BN-Umno in the states,” Youth chief Shamsul Iskandar Md Akin said.
“PKR Youth reminds the Pakatan state governments not to waver or to cite 1,001 excuses. The ‘clean-out’ of BN elements must be done without any delay.”
Source: Malaysiakini
Links:
'Let's erase the racism within'
'Rid Pakatan-led states of BN elements'
