Later the same day, DAP parliamentarian Lim Kit Siang painted a gloomy pre-elections picture, pointing at efforts by some quarters to make it a Malay versus Chinese battlefield.
This comes as no surprise with certain Umno politicians repeatedly warning that if their party is defeated in the upcoming general election, the Malays will ultimately be the biggest losers.
FMT’s survey around the predominantly Malay constituencies in Selangor found that many shared this opinion, saying that whenever possible, they would vote for a Malay candidate.
“This is our people, we have to vote for our race. Even though they work with those of other races, like Barisan Nasional (BN), we know that is for the good of the Malays,” said Sungai Besar voter Noraini Mahmud.
“Malay of course, I will support the Malay candidate,” said Abu Hasan, when asked who he would vote for when faced with two candidates, one Malay and the other non-Malay.
Political parties are aware of this mindset, which is why race has been a common factor in decisions on which candidate to field during elections.
In the last twin by-elections in Kuala Kangsar (Perak) and Sungai Besar (Selangor), for example, the majority of voters in the two constituencies were Malay. Because of this, the candidates fielded by both BN and Pakatan Harapan (PH) were also Malays.
Race versus good service record
With this “communal” mindset, as Mahathir pointed out, what would the Malays do if they were faced with two candidates: a Malay implicated in various scandals, and a non-Malay whose background is squeaky clean?
According to Ramlah Zainal from Felda Bukit Cerakah, Shah Alam, in this scenario, she would vote for the candidate whom she believed would fight for her bread and butter concerns.
She was the only one, among 22 others FMT spoke to, who provided such an answer.
The rest, like Mohamad Abdul Rahim from Bukit Rotan, said Islam is an important matter, so Malay voters should vote for a Muslim candidate.
Only if a Malay candidate is not available will they consider giving their support to non-Malays, as long as they can “bring progress to the country”.
Religious factor
A quick Google search on the topic of Islamic responsibility when it comes to voting will yield numerous results. Notable ones come from religious leaders such Ustaz Azhar Idrus and Perlis mufti Mohd Asri Zainul Abidin.
Azhar, in 2012, said Muslims are allowed to vote for those of other races only if the candidate can benefit the cause of Islam and the Muslims themselves. Otherwise, it is “wajib”, or a must, for them to vote for a Muslim candidate.
Asri, whom the Malays view as a more moderate preacher, said the same: that Muslims must vote for those of the same religion for top posts, such as that of prime minister.
But when it comes to voting for those who are not the ultimate policymaker, then they should choose the one they believe would bring more good to the people, Asri said.
The voters FMT spoke to expressed the same belief.
Sekinchan voter Ismail Sutan said Malaysia is an Islamic country and Malays, the majority group.
“We have to support the Malays,” he said.
“If there is no Malay candidate, then we have to vote for a candidate that can help the Malays, like MCA. Because MCA is in BN, which is dominated by the Malays.”
His stand was the same as that of many others, such as Nordin Ariffin and Kamarul Arifin.
“We want Muslim leaders surely, because once upon a time, Prophet Muhammad and his four friends ruled nearly a quarter of the world. This shows that Muslim leaders are more progressive.
“But the other option is to choose a candidate who serves for a coalition that is led by Muslims,” Kamarul said.
Penang mufti Wan Salim Wan Mohd Noor however, disagreed. He said in a multiracial country such as Malaysia, voters have to make sure that the leader they choose is one who can ensure justice for the people.
This is, after all, one of the main principles of Islam, he added.
“We have to look at the candidate’s character and actions. Maybe they are not Muslim, but if they are more honest and responsible in carrying out their duties, then we should pick them.
“If the Muslim candidate has these characteristics, then that is even better. But if they are only Muslim in name, and are dishonest and corrupt, we can’t vote for them as they don’t even embrace the teachings of Islam,” he said to FMT.
BN no longer has the edge
While Malay communal sentiments helped Umno win more seats in the last general election, this may change in the next general election.
This is because Pakatan Harapan now has Mahathir, who some say wears his “ultra Malay” label like a badge of honour.
Malays who worry that Malaysia will no longer be a Muslim country if BN is removed take some comfort in knowing that as long as the 92-year-old is around, PPBM will always be a dominant party.
“PPBM is seen to be like Umno, so the Malays feel comfortable with its presence in PH. And Mahathir is the only one who can get them to switch their support to the opposition,” political analyst Ahmad Atory Hussain told FMT.
“If even his former enemies can now embrace him, what more the Malays who, for more than two decades, voted to keep him in power,” he added.