Sheriff Kassim said PH must face the fact that such steps were meant to restore the economy.

“They need to make unpopular choices even if certain quarters bring race into the picture,” he told FMT.

“If they keep worrying about whether such reforms will have racial implications, I think they will never get the job done,” he said during a forum here titled “61 Years after Merdeka: Do Race and Ethnicity Matter?”

Sheriff gave the example of the recent debate on 1Malaysia People’s Aid (BR1M) payouts, saying even this could spark an argument on race as most of the recipients were Malays.

“Irresponsible quarters could also say that this is a move against those who supported the previous government,” he added.

Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad recently said that BR1M payouts would be reduced in stages before the programme is brought to an eventual halt.

This earned criticism from former prime minister Najib Razak, who said the move would “punish” the poor and increase the income gap.

Sheriff, who was the secretary-general of the former finance ministry, said the government needed to “bite the bullet” and appoint the right people to carry out the necessary reforms.

“Whether they are Malay or from any other race, they must be capable people who can communicate efficiently to the people that the government is making changes for their good.”

Prior to his retirement from the civil service in 1994, he said, he had picked Clifford Francis Herbert to lead his ministry.

“My successor was a non-Malay but there were no issues from my staff about my choice. The chief secretary at the time did not question me about it, either,” he said.

Sheriff said heads of institutions must also be well-versed in economics and financial issues.

He urged PH ministers and political leaders to speak out against racism and religious issues.

“Keeping silent is not good as it will seem like they are tolerating racism,” he added.