林德宜：可以解散种族政党吗？

1953年3月24日，时任霹州大臣，拥有拿督邦理玛武吉干当（Dato’ Panglima Bukit Gantang）封号的阿都华合（Abdul Wahab）曾言：“在相当长的时间内，我一直关注现有马来亚政党的不稳定性和/或种族主义问题。经我与各族的许多朋友讨论后，得出的结论是，有必要考虑创建一个阵线，结合所有希望在马来亚和平生活与享有繁荣的人们。”

行动党雪州双溪比力州议员刘天球，在2020年1月19日脸书上也曾说：“倒有一种方法能将种族主义者惯用的（种族政治）伎俩废除……但这必要得到火箭创党人和高层领袖的首肯，愿意做出重大牺牲，其他希盟友党亦然。我的意思是，如果我们解散希盟三党，即行动党，诚信党和公正党，组成一个多元种族的单一政党。具有多元化和马来西亚的视野。

这样一来，所有历史包袱，负面形象和刻板印象将在一夜之间消失无踪。出现在马来西亚天空，是一个全新名字和标志的政党，从此不再有火箭，蓝眼睛和三角形。

不应对政治完全绝望

当然，这必须得到三党领袖和党员的批准。为了实现这一目标，这必须获得三党创党人和高层领袖愿意作出牺牲。这听起来确实很不容易。但是在政治上没有什么是绝对不可能的，不是吗？”

如今，政治阴谋诡计、暗算、口是心非和背叛，使马来西亚公众开始怀疑政治的崇高性。我们手机上的whatsapp充斥的讯息，包含粗俗的用语，如四个字母的词来描述政治舞台上正发生的事情。可以肯定地说，公众对政治家和政党的幻灭，不尊重和厌恶的程度已达到历史低点。

在这个时候，我们有必要提醒自己，不应对政治完全绝望。

当然，为国服务的政治人物里也有正直的。也许不多。我们曾经有，现在仍然有，投入政治的人，并不是为了权力和给自己及其家人随之而来的财富，头衔和特权。他们是有崇高理想的政治家──建立一个进步的国家，并为所有视这个国家为故土的人们争取平等权利和自由。

正如最近一位政治人物在回应新一轮政治阴谋时所简洁指出的那样：“我们不会玩弄职权，我们珍惜并感到荣幸为民服务和贡献的机会。”

今天，很少人会记得当年拿督邦理玛就是一位正直和坚定地相信非种族政党，是这国家未来繁荣进步的关键。

大部分人不知晓

当我最近在两场午餐聚会上提到他的名字时，在20个友人中只有两人听过拿督邦理玛的名字，第一个是因为他的霹雳州圣米高中学前的那条路，就是以这位杰出领袖名字命名；而另一人只有含糊印象。

拿督邦理玛很少在历史书籍中被提起，他是霹雳州马来人贵族。拿督邦理玛是他从祖父那里继承的头衔。但是他通过自己的努力和成就获得了社会的地位。他是本国第一位马来律师，于1930年取得英国执业律师资格。

凭借他的律师事务和世袭头衔，他本可以过著富裕自在，不理世事的生活，享有著马来贵族和专业精英，从当年至如今都一样的，所累积的财富，地位和特权。

但是他没有这样做。拿督邦理玛是一位开创性的马来民族主义者，在他的任期内推动马来人和非马来人的经济平等。他也是一个有远见，捍卫其他族群权益的领袖。1954年6月27日，他在拿乞发表了具里程碑意义的演说，他强调：

“我要求您不要认为政府法令是限制某族群。我也请你不要只考虑自己的种族。（政府）……对本国其他族群是负有责任的，而所有的公共服务也必须开放于各族群。”

这导致他于当年10月成立了非种族性政党，霹雳州全国协会（NAP）。当时的一位观察家对霹雳州全国协会的评论：“这是第一次来自不同族群的人们共同一起组成一个非种族性政治组织”。

为了推动他的信念，即非种族性政治和政党，才是国家未来的正确前进之路，拿督邦理玛在霹雳州立议会中提出了一项动议，要求禁止种族性政党参与该州的市镇议会选举。

最终，拿督邦理玛未能在霹雳州，甚至马来亚，推动非种族性政治的理念，然而他在我国争取独立过程中依然扮演著重要角色，他是1956年东姑率团前往英国谈判独立时的霹雳苏丹代表。

在2015年，一位崇拜者向这位开国元勋致敬写到：“1950年代中期，当我任职于江沙县土地局时，我看过他（州务大臣）发出的指示，指示官员在为公共建设用途征地时，应避免征用宗教场所。这反映了其政治的成熟以及他对不同宗教信仰的各族人民之深切关注。”

拿督邦理玛于1959年（54岁）过世，逝世时还相对年轻。其离去也意味著，这国家失去了一个敢于捍卫所有公民权利，热衷于推动废除种族性政党制度的政治领袖，而种族和宗教政治结合的遗毒，自此形塑马来西亚政治的特征。

对于这一代人来说，追随上一代领导人提出的政治方向，是否会为时已晚？

在这种情况下，行动党那一位遭到种族主义最恶意中伤的政治人物脸书之言论，是值得政界人士和国人反思的。

《可以解散种族政党吗？》（Can Racial Parties Be Disbanded?）原文：

For some considerable time I have been concerned with the instability and/or racial communalism of the existing political parties in Malaya. I have discussed this with my many friends of all races and have come to the conclusion that it is necessary to consider the question for forming a united front of those who desire to live in peace and prosperity in Malaya Datoˇ Panglima Bukit Gantang , 24 March 1953

There's one sure way of removing such [racial political] ammunition from racists ... But it calls for huge sacrifices on the part of party founders and leaders of DAP and other PH components. I mean if we could dissolve all three parties at one go ie DAP, Amanah and PKR to dissolve and form a single multiracial party. With a pluralistic and all-Malaysian outlook. That way, all historical baggages and negative images and perceptions will come to an end overnight. All gone in the wind as the new single party will have a new name and a new logo. No more Rocket, Blue Eye and Triangle. But of course, this can only happen with the approvals of all party leaders and members. And it certainly call for huge sacrifices of the founders and leaders of these parties in order to make it happen. It sounds like very difficult or almost impossible to execute. But nothing is impossible in politics. Right?
Ronnie Liu Tian Khiew, Facebook page 19 January 2020
 
These days of political intrigue, back-stabbing, double dealing and betrayal are making the Malaysian public wonder if politics may not be the oldest profession in this country. The whatsapp messages flooding our hand phones contain less polite terms, including choice four letter words, to describe what is taking place in the political arena. It is safe to say that the level of public disillusionment, disrespect and disgust with politicians and political parties has reached an all time low.

At this time though it is necessary to take a step back to remind ourselves that not all is lost. There have been honorable and decent men and women of integrity who have served the country well. Perhaps not many. We have had and still have Malaysians who engage in politics not for the power and the accompanying wealth, titles and perks that political office and positions bring to themselves and their families. They are politicians for a higher calling - to build a progressive nation and to stand for the equal rights and freedoms of all people who call this country their home.

As succinctly noted by a practising politician recently in response to the latest round of political machinations : "we don't play games with public office, we cherish and honour the opportunity to serve and do good."

One politician little remembered today for his integrity and firm belief that non-communal parties hold the key to the future well being of the country is Dato Panglima Bukit Gantang Abdul Wahab bin Tok Muda Abdul Aziz.

When I mentioned his name at two lunches recently, only two of the group of 20 friends had heard of him - the first, because the road fronting his school in Perak, St. Michaelˇs Institution, bears this illustrious leaderˇs name; and the other friend, more vaguely.

Less kindly dealt with in the history books, Dato Panglima was of prominent Perak Malay heritage. He had inherited his title from his grandfather. But he earned his standing in society through his own work and accomplishments. He was the first Malay lawyer in the country to be called to the English Bar in 1930.

With his legal firm and hereditary title, he could have remained rich, comfortable and disconnected from the rest of society to enjoy the wealth, position and privilege that accrued to the Malay aristocracy and professional elite of his day and which continues today. But he did not do this. Dato Panglima was a pioneering Malay nationalist who pushed for economic parity of the Malays and non-Malays during his time.

But he was also a visionary who fought for the rights of others. In a landmark speech at Lahat on 27 June 1954, he argued:

¨I ask you not to think that the acts of Government are confined to certain racial groups. I ask you also not to think of your own particular racial group. [The Government}  is also the responsibility of other racial groups in this country and the public service must be opened to all racial groups.〃

This led to his formation of the non-communal National Association of Perak (NAP) in October that year. An observer of that time noted of the NAP: ¨This is the first time that people of different races have got together to form a non-communal political association〃.

To back his belief in non-communal politics and political parties as the right way forward for the countryˇs future, Datoˇ Panglima introduced a motion in the Perak State Legislative Assembly to ban communal political parties from participating in municipal and town council elections in the state.

Datoˇ Panglima was ultimately unsuccessful in his quest for non-communal politics in Perak and Malaya, although he continued to play a prominent role in our journey to independence as representative of the Perak Sultan in the independence negotiation team to London led by Tengku Abdul Rahman in 1956.

In 2015 an admirer paying tribute to this founding father noted: When I was working at the District Office Kuala Kangsar in the mid-1950s, I saw a directive he issued to all district officers instructing them to avoid places of worship when acquiring land for public purposes. The decision reflected maturity and his deep concern for the people of various races who professed different religions.

His untimely death in 1959 at a relatively young age robbed the nation of a political leader standing for the rights of all citizens and a passionate advocate for the dismantling of the communal party system and its toxic blend of race and religious politics which has characterized and infested Malaysian politics since.

Is it too late for this generation to follow the political direction set out by an earlier generation of leaders?

In this context, the most recent Facebook posting by one of DAPˇs most racially maligned politicians is worthy of reflection by those in politics and by the Malaysian public too.