BEING CHINESE IS BIGGER THAN DAP

 

DAP does not have a monopoly on what it means to be Chinese, just as UMNO does not have a monopoly on what it means to be Malay.

Being Chinese is bigger than DAP. Being Malay is bigger than UMNO.

We should not assume that being anti-DAP is anti-Chinese, just as we should not assume that being anti-UMNO is anti-Malay. That is a fundamental political mistake.

In fact, many politicians encourage this confusion because it serves their political interests. If a party can convince voters that it represents an entire race, then criticism of the party can be portrayed as criticism of the race itself. Likewise, support for the party can be portrayed as loyalty to the race.

This is one of the oldest tricks in politics. It is also one of the most damaging for a diverse country like Malaysia.

Just as PAS cannot claim to be the sole representative of Islam and Muslims, no political party can claim ownership of an entire race, religion, or community.

No race or religion belongs to any one party. A race is a community. A religious community is also a community. A political party is merely a vehicle.

The argument is even more difficult to sustain in DAP's case. For decades, DAP leaders have presented their party as a multiracial party that speaks for all Malaysians. If that is true, then criticism of DAP cannot automatically be equated with criticism of the Chinese community.

One cannot claim to be a multiracial party when convenient and then claim to exclusively represent one race when under attack. You cannot have the cake and eat it too.

The Chinese community is not a branch of DAP, just as the Malay community is not a branch of UMNO.

The Chinese community existed before DAP, and it will remain long after DAP is gone.

Being Chinese is bigger than DAP. The two should never be conflated.

It is my hope that Anthony Loke, Tan Sri Lim Kit Siang, and other senior DAP leaders will step forward and reaffirm this simple principle: no political party has a monopoly over any race, religion, or community.

Peace,

Anas Zubedy