LAST week, a group of DAP youth members took it upon themselves to paste stickers of road names in Chinese characters on Kuching road signs. This wasn’t received well especially in the peninsula, where it can be deemed disrespectful to the Malay language, and by extension, the Malay community.

“Disrespect” has long been a favourite political trope, contributing to the vox populi that led to the unpopularity of the previous government, seen as “dominated” by the Chinese DAP and not doing enough to “protect” Malay culture.

It doesn’t help that some in DAP are seen to be primarily championing Chinese issues such as vernacular education. Occasionally, they touch on matters that don’t concern their voter base in the name of national unity or human rights, like the implementation of Islamic laws in states with an overwhelming Muslim majority.

Topics including the teaching of Jawi in Chinese schools were treated with little tact, and the hullabaloo over the dress code in government offices – mostly a policy issue – came across as a prejudiced response to “Islamisation”, when really, social conservatism knows no religion, while little Napoleons exist in all creeds.

Some older party leaders’ poor proficiency in the Malay language or limited knowledge of Malay customs only reinforces the perception of DAP as a “chauvinist” outfit. This hampers the efforts and goodwill of the younger politicians, among them Anthony Loke and Steven Sim.

The reality is, there’s little need to play to the gallery when it comes to these issues. With its substantial non-Malay support and growing Bumiputera membership and backing, DAP should start looking beyond its usual crowd. And, it can afford to do so, given that it has the most parliamentary seats by party and a commendable presence in state legislatures.

Issues needing attention aren’t contained within a single community. Lack of education opportunities, university placements, scholarships and employment, the rising cost of living, difficulty purchasing property, and an ageing population are woes affecting the Chinese, too.

From a trade perspective, economists like Ong Kian Ming and Charles Santiago often raise concerns and moot ideas for the benefit of all Malaysians, but they rarely gain traction even within the echo chamber, as the grassroots more often than not respond only to the contentious and sensational. For instance, the idea of creating a bigger economic pie by leveraging the US-China trade war, or positioning Chinese as a language of commerce, which would be a selling point for businesses from the Sinosphere to set up bases here.

Meanwhile, local Chinese have a myriad of goods and attractions – from white coffee and bak kut teh to music, literature, temples and cultural sites – that can be used to rake in tourist dollars, adding a new dimension to the cause of vernacular schools and the promotion of the community’s culture that’s neither defensive nor offensive.

With a growing population and number of mixed seats, it doesn’t make sense to continue depending on race-based support. Just look at the decline in performance of Barisan Nasional parties barring Umno, which, nonetheless, has lost plenty of supporters. Even Bersatu sees the wisdom in welcoming non-Malays to expand its base and solidify its position. The trend is apparent in Gabungan Parti Sarawak and Parti Warisan Sabah as well.

Besides political reasons, employing a soft approach will greatly aid the causes being fought for. The preservation of culture, language and education will be of national, instead of communal, interest, and contribute to, instead of corrode, nation-building. – August 27, 2020.

* Emmanuel Joseph firmly believes that Klang is the best place on Earth, and that motivated people can do far more good than any leader with motive.

* This is the opinion of the writer or publication and does not necessarily represent the views of The Malaysian Insight. Article may be edited for brevity and clarity.