Speaking at a forum titled “Islam, Capitalism and Socialism” today, he said the people have to realise that many of the country’s issues stem from class divides and not racial or religious differences.

“The public must think along class lines to see that wealth inequality and the divide between low, middle and high-income groups have nothing to do with race or ethnicity,” he said.

He added that the majority of voters are from the low to middle-income groups while the ruling elite are a minority, which should be an important consideration when voting.

“The people must vote for politicians who understand their needs and who will address the class divide and wealth inequality.”

He said that currently, politics in the country is played along racial and ethnic lines.

“Politics appeals to race, and subsequently religion, to divide the public,” he said. “Unfortunately, this works and politicians will continue to pit the people against one another based on their race and religion because it keeps them in power.”

Farid, however, acknowledged the difficulty in making the people conscious of class lines.

“Although the youth of today are more politically engaged, it will take time for change to occur. To the youth, there appears to be little to no change – but the political culture in Malaysia has matured in the past 30 years.”