On a September day in Kuala Lumpur, the chairman of DAP, Lim Guan Eng, stepped into the aftermath of two party gatherings to ask his countrymen for something older than any single election: a shared commitment to the Federal Constitution and the rule of law. Having watched the PAS and Umno assemblies project a politics of religious and racial dominance, he framed their rhetoric as a threat to the multiracial compact that holds Malaysia together. His answer was not only a warning but a sketch of ten shared undertakings, from constitutional protections and fairer economic gains to schooling and
Lim Guan Eng urges unity against PAS and Umno's 'dangerous' racial and religious politics
Malaysians must unite against this dangerous brand of extremist politics
Mark
Why does this statement matter? It reads like a party chairman criticising rivals.
Mimi
It is that, but the timing is the point. It came right after both the PAS Muktamar and the Umno General Assembly, so he is answering what was just said on those stages.
Mark
What are his two main accusations?
Mimi
That PAS publicly barred non-Muslims from prominent Cabinet posts, and that Umno is trying to speed up the collapse of the unity government to protect its leaders.
Luke
Careful, though. Those are Lim's descriptions. The report gives no direct statements from PAS or Umno, so we only have his side of what happened at those gatherings.
Mark
And the ten-point list? Is that policy?
Mimi
It's a proposal. It covers the constitution, Sabah and Sarawak autonomy, cost of living, education, healthcare and infrastructure.
Luke
Right, and notice there are no costings or timelines in what was reported. It's an agenda, not a plan with commitments.
Mark
Anything unusual in it?
Mimi
Mixing constitutional defence with things like power and water supply. He is tying unity to everyday delivery.
Luke
Whether anyone acts on it is unknown. The figure of 17 million workers is his, and the PISA claim is stated without data in this report.
Der Puls
- DAP's Lim Guan Eng has publicly accused PAS and Umno of pushing extremist politics right after their party gatherings concluded.
- PAS drew sharp criticism for publicly barring non-Muslims from prominent Cabinet posts, a charge that lands hard in a multiracial coalition.
- Umno stands accused of quietly working to topple the unity government it belongs to, in an effort to save its own leaders.
- Lim has answered the tension with a ten-point unity agenda covering constitutional rights, the economy, education, and infrastructure.
- The statement is an appeal rather than a policy move, so the real test is whether PAS and Umno respond and whether any point enters government work.
On a September day in Kuala Lumpur, the chairman of DAP, Lim Guan Eng, stepped into the aftermath of two party gatherings to ask his countrymen for something older than any single election: a shared commitment to the Federal Constitution and the rule of law. Having watched the PAS and Umno assemblies project a politics of religious and racial dominance, he framed their rhetoric as a threat to the multiracial compact that holds Malaysia together. His answer was not only a warning but a sketch of ten shared undertakings, from constitutional protections and fairer economic gains to schooling and infrastructure, offered as a way to keep the nation whole. Whether this plea for unity will move those he criticised, or simply mark another line in an enduring national argument, remains an open question.
On September 13, DAP chairman Lim Guan Eng issued a written statement from Kuala Lumpur calling on Malaysians to stand together against what he described as a dangerous kind of extremist politics. His target was the recently concluded PAS Muktamar and the Umno General Assembly, both of which he said promoted religious and racial dominance at the expense of the Federal Constitution and the rule of law.
He made specific charges. PAS, he said, had sunk to new lows by publicly declaring that non-Muslims should be barred from prominent Cabinet posts. Umno, he argued, was working openly to undermine the unity government it belongs to, seeking its collapse to protect its leaders. He did not name those leaders in the statement as reported.
Lim then offered a counter-vision of ten areas meant to build unity across a multiracial nation and bring Sabah, Sarawak and Peninsular Malaysia closer. The first concerns the constitutional order: upholding the Constitution, defending democracy and the separation of powers, protecting the autonomy of Sabah and Sarawak, and guarding the rights of every citizen regardless of race, gender, religion or background. The economic points call for growth, less red tape, lower taxes and living costs, and a fairer share of gains for the nation's 17 million workers, along with an attack on rentier practices and crony capitalism.
The remaining points address education, citing Malaysia's slipping PISA results and proposing a merit-based curriculum and a single examination system; environmental and heritage protection; basic healthcare; affordable digital access with safeguards against scams and cyberbullying; and reliable roads, transport, power and water.
This is a political appeal rather than a policy announcement, and its sharpest lines are Lim's own. What comes next will show whether PAS and Umno answer, and whether any of these ten points finds its way into the unity government's agenda.
On Sept 13, DAP chairman Lim Guan Eng issued a written statement from Kuala Lumpur urging Malaysians to unite against what he called a "dangerous brand of extremist politics." He pointed to two events that had just concluded: the PAS Muktamar and the Umno General Assembly.
Lim said both gatherings projected a politics built on religious and racial dominance, one that did not respect the "basic spirit and fundamental tenets" of the Federal Constitution or the rule of law. He singled out each party for a specific complaint.
Of PAS, he said the party had reached "new lows" by publicly barring non-Muslims from prominent Cabinet positions. Of Umno, he said the party was openly working to undermine the government it belongs to, trying to hasten the collapse of the unity government in order to save its leaders. He did not name those leaders in the statement as reported.
"Malaysians must unite against this dangerous brand of extremist politics and prevent radical policies that can threaten the nation state embodied in the Federal Constitution," he said.
Lim then set out 10 areas he said could counter PAS and Umno while building unity across Malaysia's multiracial society and drawing Sabah, Sarawak and Peninsular Malaysia closer together. The first group concerns the constitutional order: upholding the Federal Constitution and the rule of law, defending democracy and the separation of powers, and protecting the autonomy of Sabah and Sarawak. He also called for the constitutional rights of all Malaysians to be protected regardless of race, gender, religion or background.
The economic items come next. Lim wants measures to generate growth, cut red tape, and reduce taxes as well as utility, compliance and regulatory costs. He said the benefits should be shared more equitably, particularly among the 17 million-strong workforce, by lowering the cost of living and tackling what he called "toxic rentier economic practices and crony capitalism."
On education, he called for excellence and a merit-based curriculum with a single examination system, citing Malaysia's declining PISA rankings. He also proposed stronger protection of the natural environment and cultural heritage, basic healthcare for all, and wider access to affordable digital education and opportunities, with safeguards against scams and cyberbullying.
The last item is physical infrastructure: good roads, strong public transport, and reliable power and water supplies.
The statement is a political appeal rather than a policy announcement, and the characterisations of PAS and Umno are Lim's own. What to watch is whether the two parties respond, and whether any of the ten points becomes part of the unity government's agenda.
Bemerkenswerte Zitate
Malaysians must unite against this dangerous brand of extremist politics and prevent radical policies that can threaten the nation state embodied in the Federal Constitution.— Lim Guan Eng, DAP chairman
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