Why after all this time does the country still face the spectre of poor race relations?
So many of our political parties survive by championing the cause of one ethnic group. In the process, they clash because what one group wants often goes against the desires of the others. That is why tension is created. Q: You have said that this problem was evident from the beginning of the creation of Malaysia. You have also said that the notion that the British practised “divide and rule” is nonsensical, that it is a lie repeatedly told in our text books. What makes you say all this? A: There is absolutely no proof that the British practised divide- and-conquer tactics here. The British tried many times after World War 2 to bring the people together. They established the Communities Liaison Committee in 1949. Later, the 1951 Barnes report recommended the setting up of one type of school and that vernacular schools be demolished. These schools would use the Malay language and English as their medium of instruction. But this was not accepted. The British gave in and revived Chinese s
