Youth group flags all 3 coalitions in Malacca polls for playing race card

MALACCA POLLS | A youth group has flagged candidates and parties from all three coalitions contesting in the Malacca polls for using race and religion in their campaigning.

Architects of Diversity (AOD) Malaysia said it had detected at least 17 uses of the race and religion card as of Nov 17 via its #KamiNampak (We can see) campaign.

They cited three examples in a statement today, one for each coalition.

For BN, they cited how its Paya Rumput candidate Rais Yasin reshared a TikTok video of Umno Youth chief Asyraf Wajdi Dusuki saying that "only Umno and BN can protect and defend our (Muslim) religion, can ensure the dignity and pride of our (Malay) race is protected.”

Meanwhile, for Pakatan Harapan, the group flagged DAP for playing the religion card by jabbing PN and BN for having 22 lucky draws under their administration despite claiming to be a Malay-Muslim government.

This is in comparison to the eight lucky draws during Harapan's tenure in Putrajaya.

As for Perikatan Nasional, AOD Malaysia flagged Malacca PAS women's treasurer Hawa Yaakub for implying that "Muslim oppression" as experienced by Uighurs in China were starting to emerge during Harapan's 22-months in office.

Several other instances of race-baiting were also posted on the #KitaNampak Twitter page.

For example, DAP's incumbent Kota Laksamana assemblyperson Low Chee Leong was flagged for accusing MCA of failing to defend the Chinese community from PAS' "extremist policies".

MCA vice-president Tan Teik Cheng and Bemban candidate Koh Chin Han, meanwhile, were flagged for saying that if the Chinese don't support MCA then there will be no Chinese representation in the Malacca state government.

PN's Malacca chief Mohd Rafiq Naizamohideen had made similar remarks in urging support for Gerakan during an interview with Malaysiakini.

Meanwhile, MCA's candidate for Kota Laksamana, Benjamin Low, also claimed in a video that if not for MCA's past contributions, the Chinese community would have had to adopt Malay names.

In their statement today, AOD Malaysia co-founder Jason Wee said playing the race card was a hindrance to national unity.

"We cannot move forward with national unity if our own leaders still use polarising strategies for their gain.

"The shadows of our colonial divide-and-rule tactic still run deep within our political system,” he said.

Meanwhile, AOD Malaysia senior associate Mayna Patel said politicians must stop exploiting race and religion and "focus on policies and what they can really do to uplift the people’s lives”.

AOD Malaysia was previously one of the organisers for Kem Muhibbah, a camp which sought to introduce children from vernacular and religious schools to one another and learn to live in a multicultural society.