Urimai chairman P Ramasamy has urged Perikatan Nasional (PN) to offer a “substantive alternative” to resolve issues affecting the Chinese and Indian communities, including education, if it wants to woo the non-Malay electorate.
In a Facebook post today, he said the opposition had an “issue” when it came to the political support of the Chinese and Indians.
He said it was necessary to address the problems faced by these communities, and that PN could not operate on the assumption that support from non-Malay communities was automatic.
“Is PN prepared to offer a substantive alternative, not rhetoric, to gain their political support?
“PAS‘s non-Muslim support wing might not be the model that the Islamic party should rely on,” he said.
The former DAP assemblyman cited the recent controversy over the failure of a top STPM scorer to secure a place at a local university.
He said that to date, PAS and Bersatu had refrained from criticising the “undemocratic” nature of the education system which, according to him, put non-Malays at a disadvantage.
He also asked how PN could aspire towards national power without the support of the Indians and Chinese who make up nearly 40% of the population.
The “controversial and combustible nature” of the education system should be meaningfully addressed, he said.
“If PN can outline the necessary and progressive reforms for the educational sector, there is a possibility of attracting the support of the Chinese and Indians.”
