THE controversy over khat exposes a trust deficit between Pakatan Harapan and the Chinese – long thought to be Putrajaya’s staunchest supporters.

The loss of trust towards the government had widened after PH failed to fulfil promises of deferring payment of higher education study loans (PTPTN), recognising the United Exam Certificate (UEC) and allocating more places for non-Malays in matriculation courses.

The saga also exposed a schism within DAP – the coalition’s Chinese-majority party – between two factions trying to chart its direction in new Malaysia, said political analysts.  

One faction of leaders and supporters see DAP as a more muscular version of MCA where it can effectively carry out and meet the demands of the Chinese community, said political analyst Ooi Heng.

The other group wants DAP to tilt more towards its Malaysian outlook and represent all communities.

How PH and the DAP resolve this latest saga will influence its standing among Malays and Chinese, and its chances in the 15th general election, said analysts and DAP leaders.

“In my view, this is the most serious issue that DAP has faced ever since the change in government on May 9,” said Ooi of the Political Studies for Change (KPRU) think-tank.

The khat issue and opposition towards it should be seen in the context of the Chinese’s accumulated anger towards PH.

“It is the last straw after no recognition of UEC and the matriculation quota,” said Ooi.

“But Pakatan is caught in a bind. If they U-turn on khat, the Malays will get mad at them. And if they continue, a good portion of the Chinese will abandon them.

“But whatever decision they make, Pakatan will lose trust among one segment of the populace,” he said.

Pouring fuel on fire

PH garnered close to 85% of the Chinese vote in the 14th general election by promising, among others, that it would be a better voice of their concerns compared with the rival Barisan Nasional coalition.

PH and DAP promised that the government would recognise the UEC, which has been a long-standing demand of Chinese education groups and parents of children going to independent secondary Chinese schools.

But after PH formed the government, it waffled on UEC recognition and has declined to increase the quota for non-Malays in the matriculation programme.

“DAP supporters think just because the party has 41 MPs, it is strong enough to push things through in government. But they don’t know that Pakatan is a coalition of equals,” said Ooi.

When the government decided that year four vernacular pupils will still have to learn three pages of khat, the community felt that enough was enough, he said.

Selangor DAP leader Ronnie Liu said neither DAP nor its partners in PH – Amanah, PKR and Bersatu –were consulted on the policy to teach khat to year four pupils in vernacular schools.

“So what started as an education issue has become a political problem that is threatening communal harmony,” said Liu, who is Selangor DAP secretary.

The Education Ministry mishandled how to communicate the policy to education groups and the public.

“What made it worse was when (prime minister) Dr Mahathir Mohamad called (the United Chinese School Committees Association) Dong Zong racist, that is like adding fuel to the fire.”

U-turn to avoid crash

The depth of the anger towards DAP from its supporters was seen in how its revered veteran, Lim Kit Siang, was heckled at a programme in his constituency of Iskandar Puteri in Johor.

“It is very unfair that he was shouted at but that is how angry people will behave,” said Liu.

Political scientist Dr Wong Chin Huat said the anger could translate into lost votes for DAP in GE15.

“Especially if you add in the new voters at 18 to 21 years old, many DAP seats where there’s a Chinese majority will become mixed seats,” said Wong, a senior fellow at the Jeffrey Cheah Institute on Southeast Asia.   

“With an unknown number of new voters and a drop in Chinese support, DAP’s strongholds may become marginal seats.”

Liu of Selangor DAP believes that the anger can still be managed and lessened from the Chinese community if the government is prepared to reverse its decision on khat.

After all, said Liu, if the government can U-turn on ratifying a global human rights treaty on racism, it should be able to do the same for khat.

Putrajaya stopped its ratification of the United Nations International Convention on Eliminating All Forms of Discrimination (ICERD) following protests from Malay-Muslim groups.  

“It is better to U-turn than to crash into a wall,” said Liu. – August 14, 2019.