Singapore’s Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew did the same thing as Umno Youth chief Hishammuddin Hussein - defend his race.

So why is Hishammuddin, who is also education minister, upset with the veteran politician for saying that the Chinese in Malaysia are marginalised?

This is the question posed by Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) Youth vice-chief Shamsul Iskandar Md Akin, who urged Hishammuddin to perform a little self-reflection before pointing the finger at others.

“Not too long ago, Hishammuddin told us it is not a problem for anyone to struggle for one single race, even to the extent of waving the keris or kung-fu sword,” he said in a statement today.

According to Shamsul, it is common for regional leaders to make comments about other countries in their private capacity.

“Our leaders too have often criticised Singapore’s restrictive democracy and its treatment of racial minorities. Similarly, it is not unusual for leaders of other countries to express disapproval of certain Malaysian policies,” he said.

Racial sentiments

Regardless of what Lee’s ulterior motive might be, Shamsul said Malaysian leaders should not react emotionally by invoking racial sentiments.

“Why is it after more than four decades of independence, Malaysian nationhood is still not tangible. The most alarming thing is that a large proportion of Malaysians still perceive themselves as being marginalised.

“By Umno’s own admission, some Malays in Penang feel marginalised by the state administration. Many other communities too experience the same feeling of marginalisation,” he said.

There are also socially or economically marginalised groups such as squatters, the poor, disabled persons and so forth, he added.

Shamsul said Malaysian politicians should not be too preoccupied with Lee’s rhetoric and instead be concerned with tackling marginalisation.

“Leaders of all parties, those in government and the opposition alike, have a duty to find solutions to the problem. This cannot be achieved through a racial approach,” he added.

The poor and weak

Meanwhile, PKR deputy president Dr Syed Husin Ali argued that there are government policies that discriminate and marginalise races.

But what is worse, according to the veteran politician, is the marginalisation and victimisation of the poor and weak in all races.

“If you ask the non-Malay millionaires, they will not say that they have not been marginalised. In fact, they get assistance from the ruling elite.

“But why can’t non-Malay academics be appointed as vice-chancellors in local universities or brilliant non-Malay students be given scholarships?” he asked in a statement.

On the same note, Syed Husin also urged Lee to also look at his backyard where a majority of the Malays are in dire straits.