Tan Sri Datuk Amar Dr James
Karpal Singh
KUCHING: Parti Rakyat Sarawak (PRS) president Tan Sri Datuk Amar Dr James Masing does not agree to ending race-based political parties or professional organisations.
Yesterday, Masing, who is Baleh assemblyman, challenged the proposer of the move by Democratic Action Party (DAP) chairman Karpal Singh to start the ball rolling by initiating the disbanding of Chinese Chamber of Commerce and Industry and Chinese Association Penang in Pulau Pinang.
The Land Development Minister said Karpal, the Bukit Gelugor MP, not only should “walk the talk” by actually initiating his proposal but also lead by example as far as the opposition camp is concerned.
“If he (Karpal) believes in it (move to disband race-based political parties and professional organisations) then he should lead by example by first initiating to get the Chinese Chamber of Commerce and Industry and Chinese Association Penang in Penang deregistered. He must walk the talk,” said Masing, who appeared to be defending the current status of Umno, MCA, MIC, SDNU, DUBS, SCCI and various other race-based parties and associations.
“So I challenges him (Karpal) – walk the talk, lead by example and ask for the deregistration of these Chinese chambers and associations in Penang. We will see if he can do it,” he stressed.
Karpal was quoted by a national paper as saying in George Town on Tuesday that it was time to end race-based political parties and professional organisations because such groups were a setback to the country’s unity.
Karpal stressed that in order to form a united country, people must have parties that are multi-racial and that even Muslim-dominant Parti Islam Se-Malaysia (PAS) must rope in races other than Malays and Muslims as party members.
To justify his proposal, he even claimed that former Umno president and Malaysian premier Tun Dr Mahathir Mohammad had uttered comment that ultimately Malaysia should not have racial parties.