MALAYSIANS must not allow unscrupulous politicians to dictate terms or worse, to win, if we are to break free of the shackles of racism and xenophobia, former MP Charles Santiago said.

The DAP member urged Malaysians to celebrate unity in diversity as the country celebrates its 66th year of independence tomorrow.

“Every time a political leader glorifies Malaysia, they will talk about how ‘rich’ the country is due to its diverse population,” the ex-Klang lawmaker said.

“They will describe Malaysia as a melting pot of culture, tradition, language, race and religion.

“But look a little deeper and we see the same politician somersaulting to pit us against each other using race and religion as a compelling narrative.

Santiago said such politicians were practising “vendetta politics”.

“We can’t let these political figures win. We can’t allow them to dictate terms. We can’t allow them to divide us.

“Let’s embrace one another as Malaysians.”

Santiago said race- and religion-baiting persists in politics even though Malaysia has been independent for decades, leading to much friction and hostility among the diverse people who make up the country.

“Race and religion in politics was the signature of the Umno administration: a cleverly manipulated rhetoric to keep us divided. Today, we are still seeing the consequences on the ground.

“The Malays have been led to believe they are on the verge of losing their superior position as the rightful citizens of Malaysia.

“The Chinese and Indians feel marginalised and deeply frustrated with Malay supremacy, which has translated into the rise of ethnonationalism on top of discrimination policies,” he said.

Santiago said Malaysia has great potential to succeed if only it is not plagued by greed, power abuse, authoritarianism, and hate propaganda among its politicians. – August 25, 2023.