YOURSAY | ‘How about non-Malay bumi becoming PM?’

Cops summon Kit Siang over ‘non-Malay’ PM remark

Mazhilamani: At the rate our country is accepting migrant workers, who are not prevented from getting married to locals, it is just a matter of time before a mixed person will become a future prime minister.

No one is protesting against such a possibility. And it is not like we haven’t had mixed prime ministers before.

And what is wrong if a local citizen from one of our minority communities, such as Kadazan, Chinese, or Indian, with the right leadership qualifications and capability, becomes prime minister in the future?

DAP veteran Lim Kit Siang is talking about a remote possibility, citing an example of African American (mixed) president Barack Obama after 230 years of that country’s existence.

This is not likely to happen in the next 50 years in our beloved country of Malaysia. Who knows what may happen in the future?

The thinking of future generations may change and be shaped depending on how our future national and world history unfolds.

The late premier of Singapore, Lee Kuan Yew, said given the demography of the island population, a non-Chinese cannot be appointed as prime minister during his time, even if he finds such a talent.

The universe has its ways, so let it be.

XED: Wikipedia cites former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad as a prime minister of Indian origin.

There are other interesting ones too. Rishi Sunak, the prime minister of the UK, is of Indian origin.

The first minister of Scotland, Humza Yousaf, is a Scottish Nationalist of Pakistani origin. The Taoiseach (prime minister) of Ireland, Leo Varadkar, is of Indian origin.

The caretaker prime minister of Portugal, Antonio Costa, is of Indian origin.

Several people of Indian origin have also headed governments in countries like Mauritius, Fiji, Trinidad and Tobago, Suriname, and Guyana.

Obama, despite being half-white, is regarded as black and became president of the United States of America. US Vice President Kamala Harris is of black and Indian origin.

There is an interesting photograph of the then-president of the US Donald Trump, looking bemused as he and his team faced across the table at lunch with Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, who had two cabinet ministers of Indian origin on each side of him.

The Constitution of Malaysia does not require that the prime minister be a Malay.

Why was a police report lodged? Which fool of a lawyer advised that it was a criminal offence to say the prime minister can be a non-Malay?

How about a non-Malay bumiputera from Sarawak becoming the prime minister?

Which politician would dare say it would be against the Constitution and risk annoying a very significant segment of the population which has condemned the oppression and exploitation of the people of Sarawak and Sabah?

It is time there be a crackdown on the racists and religious fanatics who spew their message of hate and malice against others.

Would the editors of Wikipedia be questioned by the police?

Apanama is back: Lim, I agree that the Malaysian Constitution provides that a non-Malay can be a prime minister and the Malaysian Constitution is a non-provocative document. Your speech is not very provocative.

However, your speech may spook someone somewhere. How come a minority person could be the prime minister of Malaysia when the majority still fears the minorities in this country?

You have gone against the Malay agenda. Better not to spook anyone. You should have consulted Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, as he is an expert on what spooks whom.

A carefully worded speech may prevent you from all this trouble. Next time pay attention to spooking.

You also mentioned, “It took the US 230 years before an African American (Barack Obama) could become president.” We may need to wait for 200-plus years before having the first non-Malay prime minister.

But our prime minister does not want to repeat the mistakes of 200-plus years by the French. I hope you understand why the French Revolution is important as far as ‘reformasi’ is concerned.

At the end of the day, silence is golden! At the moment DAP is a contoh yang baik (good example).

Pink: Though what Lim said is correct, it is best not to say it, rocking the boat of an already unstable government.

When the time comes for us to have a non-Malay prime minister, we will be ready.

As it is, people in Amanah are having no problem kowtowing to DAP. So it is not something impossible.

We already have enough problems without an old retired MP interfering. We do not want another Mahathir. Lim is a Tan Sri and has a big pension.

His biggest contribution to the country now is to keep quiet.

Proarte: Kadazans and Ibans are bumiputera, but they are discriminated against just like the Chinese, Indians, and other Orang Asli, to the extent that it is “provocative” to suggest that Malaysian citizens who are non-Malay cannot become the prime minister.

At a time when Malays are upset with Israel over what they perceive to be racism and discrimination towards the Arab Palestinians, they must be consistent in their moral position, so much so that abhorring discrimination and racism abroad must also apply in their own country.

Darmakochi: Does our Constitution specifically state a non-Malay cannot be the prime minister? What about someone from East Malaysia?

If not, anyone can say anything. In a hundred years, all of us will be dead and gone.

So many things can happen including our Earth being destroyed by a big meteorite. We are collectively becoming more and more childish as each day passes.

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