YOURSAY | ‘When all fails, he resorts to threats. Is this a hallmark of a good leader?’

Chinese the first to be targeted if there is no peace, PM fears

Existential Turd: Prime Minister Najib Razak’s statement on “Chinese being the first to be targeted if there is no peace” can be interpreted in different ways, but certainly not the way MCA interpreted it.

1. It is an admission that Umno/BN likes to scapegoat the Chinese community for the destruction they themselves wrought.

2. It is a veil threat to the Chinese community to toe the line.

How can he expect such a statement to unite all the races in Malaysia?

Vijay47: Najib, just a few days ago, you painted yourself as a great global leader fresh from your trip to America, a statesman to lead the world to the right path and a golden future of greatness. Today you reduce yourself to making crude not-so-subtle "May 13" threats.

What political maturity or finesse do you have if you think such warnings will make the Chinese or any other tide turn towards you? You want us to believe that you and Umno are the bulwark that will protect us from Islamic State (IS) and similar violent Islamic organisations.

Are you suggesting that IS targets only non-Muslims or are you implying that IS victims in the Middle East, Africa, Bangladesh, or Indonesia are all Chinese?

If IS wants to attack anyone in Malaysia, do they need to wait for a change in government? Won't a new government be equally committed to protecting the nation? By the way, I presume Zakir Naik is an essential part of your anti-IS forces.

David Dass: Why would the Chinese the first to be targeted if we descended into chaos? Why should we descend into chaos in the first instance? Is this the state of the nation?

Are race relations so bad that race will be pitted against race if our economy goes into a tailspin or if we have elections that bring about a result that some do not like?

The Chinese are less than 25% of the country. And the Indians are less than 7%. Neither can bring about a change of government. Only the Malays can bring about change. In any scenario, the Malays will always be the majority component in any government of the country.

Lim Kit Siang knows that. The DAP knows that. In any event, the Malays control the civil service, the police, the armed forces and virtually everything else. So why should the Chinese be targeted in any scenario? And who will target the Chinese?

May 13th was the worst incident in our history and even then, there was no uprising of the Malays against the Chinese or Indians. Most people were terrified and many helped one another. Later studies and analysis revealed that the riots were sparked by a few and isolated, and the police were able to restore order quite quickly.

The social, economic and political landscape has changed quite dramatically since then. No racial group can seek to rule without the other. All must acknowledge the political realities on the ground.

The Malay middle-class has grown substantially. Malays are a substantial presence in the professions and in business. The Malays and the government through the government-linked companies (GLCs) are heavily invested in the markets.

We cannot allow the country to descend into chaos. we cannot pit race against race. That is why so many defend our Constitution and our democracy. That is why so many speak against foreign influences that seek to divide us. That is why wise leadership is essential for this country.

Quigonbond: My question directs to the rural Malays. Is the PM making sense to you? Let's apply reasoning here.

Pakatan Harapan comprise of four parties. If they win the next GE, DAP will only have a quarter seats in Parliament out of the majority. The rest would be from PKR, Amanah and Bersatu. The coalition government will be led by a Malay Muslim. Selangor and Penang Harapan have demonstrated they can run clean, open and progressive governments.

It's not hard to imagine how this can be translated at Putrajaya level. So if Harapan wins GE, what's the chances of chaos? Zero, provided there is a peaceful transition of power.

Therefore, the only instigator of such violence if BN refuses to concede, calls for national emergency and suspends Parliament. Who will cause the chaos? Najib, Umno and BN.

Léon Moch: I totally agree with Najib. As he said, don't vote for those who target the Chinese or any other groups. Now let's see who are the ones who have targeted the Chinese? They are those who have issued anti-Chinese statements and don certain coloured shirts.

I've not seen PKR, Amanah, DAP, PSM or even PAS members doing that. So we know now who not to vote for. Thank you, PM.

RM2.6 Billion Turkey Haram: When all fails, he has to resort to threat. Is this a hallmark of a good leader? This is no way to win votes. Only desperado behaves this way.

Najib, win votes using good policies. Right now, the main bone of contention on everybody's mind is the 1MDB scandal. Why are you so reluctant to get your associate Jho Low home to face investigation?

Vgeorgemy: Indeed, Najib, the dynamics in protecting the assets and lives have changed considerably under your administration as we are inviting billions of China investments in Malaysia.

With the investments from mainland China, we can be assured of a certain amount of pressure on the ruling as well as opposition parties relating to investment protection.

Any failure will lead to certain intervention from the investing parties. Chinese Malaysians are very much aware of such dynamics unfurling, so let’s discuss inclusive politics instead of parochial politics.

Anonymous #40538199: It would be foolish for any minority communities to play racial politics because they just don't have the numbers to protect their rights.

The minorities communities would be better off if they support the parties that govern the country based on rules of law or at least a two parties rotating system that allows the civil service to carry out their duties independently and impartially without subject to entrenched political influence.

Bluemountains: Najib is convinced that the Chinese votes will determine his fate in GE14. He should therefore prove to the Chinese that he is worthy of being retained instead of resorting to subtle threats.

He can easily counter all US Department of Justice’s allegations by showing the relevant paper trails.

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