DAP’s Kampar MP Chong Zhemin has rejected fellow party member Ong Kian Ming’s claim that Pakatan Harapan (PH) indirectly benefited from racial narratives in previous elections, saying the assertion creates a false equivalence with the campaign strategies of Barisan Nasional (BN) and Perikatan Nasional (PN).
In a statement issued today, Chong said it was inaccurate to equate PH’s election campaigns with what he described as the openly race-based narratives employed by BN and PN.
“Saying PH benefited from racial politics confuses a political outcome with a deliberate political strategy.
“PH has never campaigned by asking one race to unite against another. We have never told Chinese voters that their interests can only be protected by defeating the Malays, nor have we told Indian voters that another community poses a threat to them,” he said.
PH’s message centred on national unity
Chong said PH’s core message had consistently focused on bringing Malaysians together, regardless of race or religion, to uphold good governance, moderation, economic justice and democratic institutions.
He contrasted this with BN and PN’s campaign approach, claiming both coalitions had repeatedly used DAP as a political target to instil fear among Malay voters and encourage them to consolidate their political support to protect their rights and interests.
“There is a fundamental difference between calling on Malaysians to reject extremism and telling members of a particular race that they must consolidate their political power to protect themselves from other communities.
“Warning voters about religious extremism or policies that may undermine Malaysia’s multicultural character is not the same as mobilising voters solely on the basis of racial solidarity.
“One is a debate about the direction and values of the country. The other defines political competition primarily through racial identity,” he said.
Remarks follow Keluar Sekejap discussion
Chong’s response came after Ong, the former Bangi MP, discussed the issue during an episode of the Keluar Sekejap podcast.
Ong said it was unfair to attribute PH’s defeat in the Negeri Sembilan election solely to its rivals’ use of identity politics.
He argued that PH had also benefited in previous elections from appeals encouraging non-Malay voters to unite.
Podcast co-host and former minister Khairy Jamaluddin agreed, saying PH had previously used “coded references” to the “green wave” as a dog whistle to encourage Chinese voters to unite behind the coalition.
