POLITICAL analysts are sceptical about assurances given by political parties, especially Perikatan Nasional (PN), that they would not resort to using 3R issues of race, religion, royalty – in the coming six-state elections.

They said the warning from the police had fallen on deaf ears as the parties ramp up their campaigns to win over Malay voters.

They said PN in particular would play up these issues as they are contesting in Malay states – Kedah, Kelantan and Terengganu, and brushed off PN chairman Muhyiddin Yassin’s promise of not using 3R issues.

They pointed to PN election director Muhammad Sanusi Md Nor’s rant against the Chinese and the attack on Selangor royalty as PN’s campaign tactics on display.

The Kedah caretaker menteri besar last week claimed trial to two charges of sedition over his remarks made in a political gathering in Selayang.

“You are not going to win votes talking about the rising cost of living or the sluggish economy,” Liew Wui Chern, a lecturer at the Department of Mass Communication in the University of Tunku Abdul Rahman (UTAR), told the Malaysian Insight.

Liew said in Malaysia, going down that avenue has no appeal.

“Stirring the emotions on race, religion and royalty has the appeal,” he said as the various political parties that will contest in the elections in Selangor, Negri Sembilan, Penang, Kedah, Kelantan and Terengganu gear up.

He said parties resorting to the 3Rs are “inevitable”.

“It’s nothing strange. It’s something that happens in every election.

“It’s unavoidable because in the Malaysian context, talking about the economy or rising cost of living issues do not have the same appeal as issues relating to race or religion.

“In Malaysian politics, politicians often resort to emotionally charged issues and there’s nothing better than to stir up issues related to race and religion.”

Liew said playing up the race and religion card would be prevalent in Malay-Muslim majority states and constituencies.

He cited Sanusi’s Kedah as a prime example.

“More than two-third of the voters are Malays. PN therefore has no need for non-Muslim votes.

“For Sanusi and politicians like him, losing non-Muslim votes will not have much impact.

“That explains why Sanusi is bold and very vocal when speaking on 3R issues.”

Nonetheless, Liew said the Malay-Muslim dominated PN would not solely rely on the 3Rs to win votes.

“They’ll try to mix it up a little. Yes, they’ll talk about the cost of living and the current state of the economy but will mix it up with race and religious issues to pander to the Malay-Muslim voters’ dissatisfaction.”

Proposed legislation 

Lau Zhe Wei, an assistant professor in the Department of Political Science, International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM), agreed with Liew and said the 3Rs will still dominate the election campaign rhetoric.

“Because it’s a sure win tactic.”

Lau said in the 11th general election in 2004, the Umno-led Barisan Nasional (BN) won big on race and religious issues to leave a lasting bitter aftertaste as the Chinese were still subject to taunts of ‘Chinese go back to China’.

On July 13, Legal and Institutional Reform Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Azalina Othman Said disclosed the government is working on a new bill to deal with 3R issues.

She said the bill, which may be called the State and Nation Act, could be similar to Singapore’s Racial Harmony Act, but tailored to meet the current situation in the country.

She said at present, any offences involving the 3Rs are investigated under the Sedition Act of 1848, which favours the element of criminality, resulting in a lengthy and cumbersome prosecution process.

“The government is therefore looking at a new bill to penalise those who manipulate racial, religious and royal issues in a civil process,” she said.

Utar’s Liew said the bill, if taken at face value, could help calm the current political chaos.

“However, I would like to say that in preparing the bill, it is necessary to make sure that it is only inflammatory speech that will be dealt with, not just any speech, otherwise it may end up as one of the ruling party’s means of suppressing political opponents.”

IIU’s Lau also believed the proposed bill sounded good.

He suggested the government create a neutral committee to draw up the bill. –  July 24, 2023.