PH MP should aggressively change anti-Malay perception

KUALA LUMPUR: The non-Malay Pakatan Harapan (PH) members of Parliament (MPs) should aggressively engage with the Malays including in rural areas to change the negative perception on them, suggested an academician.
Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia's research fellow Prof Datuk Dr Denison Jayasooria said even though many said that the 14th General Election (GE14) result was the manifestation of the Malay Tsunami, there were still the anti-Islam and anti-Malays' perception circulating among PH's non-Malay MPs.
"The way in which Chinese MPs only go to Chinese communities and Indian MPs only go to Indian communities is already over. Now they must aggressively go to Malay communities especially in rural areas like Felda and engage with the people.
"Many young non-Malay PH MPs can speak in very good bahasa (Bahasa Melayu). They can go to the ground to engage with Malay voters and change the negative perception," he said on the sidelines of GE14: An Analysis Seminar at International Islamic University Malaysia, here today.
Earlier Denisen presented his study on the post GE14 result entitled 'What GE14 Means to Malaysia'.
Therefore, he said, the PH government should give a clear understanding of Islam and the real picture of the new political nature in Malaysia to the people.
Furthermore, he said, the GE14 result also showed that there was a possibility of PAS creating another major political change in the next 10 years.
He said the result in which the Islamic party secured Kelantan and Terengganu and almost winning Kedah and Perak indicated that the people wanted to see Malaysia be a stronger Islamic and Shariah compliance country in the future.
"Don't dismiss the Islamic aspiration of the people. For example in India when the BJP (Bharatiya Janata Party) emerged because people feel something is wrong in the country.
"So if there is the continuous of corruption, abuse of power, immorality and undermining of religion, so the majority voters can vote this way or that way," he added. — Bernama