Mukhriz Mahthir should “ubah sendiri” and be a Malaysian first Mentri Besar

On September 24, Kedah Mentri Besar Datuk Mukhriz Mahathir said that the Kedah state government will not entertain any requests from the Chinese schools. He said he cannot neglect supporters who have supported the BN government and that Kedah’s majority population is Malays.

He said he wants to be fair but he is also human and finally he is forced to help first those who have helped him. He said if there is any excess, then he will help others.

Mukhriz can try to offer excuses but the fact is he is practising politics of vengeance, punishing the Chinese community for not supporting him or BN.

This is most unbecoming from a Mentri Besar.

It is also not consistent from a person who had used the slogan of berani ubah ( dare to change ) in his quest for Umno Youth chief’s post in 2008 and was again talking about need for change recently when he declared his vice presidency candidacy in the upcoming Uno election.

Mukhriz must accept that the voters have the right to choose whom they want to support and he must realize too that Chinese voters too are tax payers.

It is therefore most unfair, undemocratic and unacceptable to discriminate against the Chinese community and Chinese schools.

On December 1, 2008, Mukhriz had hurt the feelings of the non Malay community when he called on the Government to abolish the vernacular schools.

Obviously he has not changed since despite the fact that he has recently talked about the need for Umno to have young blood and to change.

If he is the young blood that Umno is going to have, one wonders and worries about what kind of changes he wants to bring into Umno.

When calling for the abolition of vernacular schools in 2008, Mukhriz said that was as a means to enhance unity among people of various races.

He said a single school system was the only way to check the racial polarisation that was getting out of control in the country.

Let me tell him that language or the vernacular is not a cause of racial polarization but unfair government is. And politics of vengeance will certainly be a big cause.

I urge Mukhriz to first ‘ubah sendiri” (change himself) and be a Malaysian First Mentri Besar who will treat all races fairly.