Calling Mah’s comment alarming and disappointing, Pusat Komas said it demonstrated political parties’ lack of will to find solutions to the needs of the people.
“Instead, they result in the use of racial politics in order to garner support from the people.
“As a party which was established based on a multi-ethnic composition, Gerakan as a political party should have understood and embraced the importance of diversity and strongly championed for all political parties to be free from the narrow ethnic-centric thinking,” it said in a statement.
On Saturday, Mah had said it was not time to dispose of race-based political outfits although components in Barisan Nasional could merge and do away with such a system in the long run.
He pointed to the formation of opposition party PPBM, a Malay-Muslim entity led by former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad.
“The fact that Dr Mahathir can set up PPBM proves that having race-based parties is still a trend among the people,” the plantation industries and commodities minister said.
However, Pusat Komas said race-based political parties were not and would not be relevant either in the past, present or future.
It added that the development of such policies had inhibited the country from optimal development in the social, political and economical spheres.
“It is essential to note that the establishment of ethnic-based political parties are a manifestation of the divide-and-rule policy which was used by colonial administrators in the past to maintain power.
“It is therefore imperative for post-independent countries to reject and eliminate any forms of dangerous manifestations like racial politics from being practised in our country.”
Pusat Komas said the time had come for all parties to stop apologising for past systemic errors and to instead be firm in championing inclusive politics in Malaysia.
“Pusat Komas would like to urge all parties, including the people and the political leaders, to be aware and to understand that there is no place for any form of racial politics in a multi-ethnic and religious country,” it said.
Race-based parties still relevant in Malaysia, says Gerakan’s Mah