The Malaysian Insight

MINISTER in the Prime Minister’s Department P. Waytha Moorthy may try to revive the Hindraf wave with his Malaysian Advancement Party (MAP), but the new party may not be able to address issues affecting the Indian community.

 Penang Institute political studies fellow Dr Wong Chin Huat said Waytha Moorthy had risen through Hindraf’s struggle on Indian issues, but another Indian ethnic party might not be the solution as the problems the minister sought to address were larger cross-ethnic issues.

The main objectives of MAP, Waytha Moorthy had said, included protecting, promoting and advancing the Indian community’s political, economic, educational, cultural, religious and social interests.

Wong said Indian issues had two aspects. The first dealt with identity issues, like religion, language and ethnic quota that cut across all socio-economic classes.

The second deals with socio-economic issues, like poverty, unemployment, gangsterism and social ills, which mostly affect the working class in the community.

“Waytha Moorthy’s rise through Hindraf was grounded on a skilful marriage of the two.

“His MAP may hope to play the same game but it is very limited what a pure Indian party can do on both fronts,” Wong said, explaining how Indian issues were part of larger issues affecting all communities.

On the identity front, he said the issue was part of the larger divide between the Malays and non-Malays, where real breakthroughs would require cross-communal deals.

The other aspect concerning socio-economy was also part of the wider problem of growing inequality because many Indians were part of the pre-dominantly Malay B40 group, he said. 

“The solution needed would be class-based, instead of community-based,” Wong told The Malaysian Insight.

Waytha Moorthy was one of the personalities that led the Hindraf movement in 2007, which fought for Hindu rights and heritage. The Hindraf movement culminated at a massive rally in November 2007, leaving a huge impact on the country’s political landscape.

On Tuesday, Waytha Moorthy said MAP, which was launched in September last year, was on a membership drive while it waited for approval from the Registrar of Societies.

The pro-tem chairman said those interested in MAP were mostly from the younger generation and Malaysians who had not joined other political parties.

Wong also pointed out that Waytha Moorthy was joining “a very crowded field” with PKR and DAP.

“Before the next general election, one of the PH parties would need to give up a constituency for Waytha Moorthy to contest. 

“Currently there is no accepted formula in deciding which party should give up which constituency for MAP, so this will likely build some undercurrents,” Wong said. 

DAP leader Dr P. Ramasamy said Malaysia should be moving towards multiracial parties instead of sticking to race-based parties, considering how the older race-based components in Barisan Nasional had suffered in the 14th general election.

The Chinese-based MCA won only one parliamentary seat, while MIC won two, only to lose Cameron Highlands recently over a vote-buying offence. The by-election campaign starts this Saturday with polling on January 26.

Ramasamy, a former academic, said there was nothing wrong with having race-based parties if they were led by good leaders, not those with self-interests and agendas, which caused problems.

Due to having “corrupt and narrow-minded” leaders, race-based parties became harmful to minority groups because the politics and policies became race-based instead of needs-based, he said.

The people were too used to race-based parties after spending over 60 years being taught to identify themselves according to their respective races, the DAP central executive committee member said.

“Many issues are still seen through the ethnic lens. It is more complicated than before,” he said while also acknowledging that even PH was not a true multiracial coalition.

Bersatu and Amanah are Malay-Muslim based parties. Only DAP and PKR were multiracial and multireligious parties.

PH chairman Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad, the founding chairman of Bersatu, had said they needed to be a Malay-based party to win over supporters from BN lynchpin party Umno.

“That’s the conundrum we face. It will depend on the leadership whether we remain race-based or move away from it,” said Ramasamy, who is now serving his third term as Penang deputy chief minister II.

Ramasamy said he hoped MAP would not fall into the race trap and become another MIC.

 While the new party would serve the Indian community, it should also bring in other marginalised groups, he said.

“But the question is whether Waytha Moorthy will be seen solely as an Indian leader,” Ramasamy said, pointing out how Malaysians also tended to judge leaders based on their race, often disregarding the help they rendered to other communities. – January 10, 2019.