Tan Chee Khoon’s legacy shows politics need not be race-based, says Jomo
The economist says Malaysia’s political history has overlooked a pan-ethnic tradition that once brought people together across racial and party lines.
Economist Jomo Kwame Sundaram has highlighted Tan Chee Khoon's legacy to demonstrate that Malaysian politics does not have to be rooted in race. Speaking at a forum marking the 30th anniversary of Tan's passing, Jomo emphasized that the opposition leader's ideals and ideas transcended ethnicity. He noted that Tan, a former parliamentary representative and labour party member, was part of a broader progressive movement that focused on ideas and reforms.
During his political career, Tan's party, the Labour Party, and the Parti Rakyat Brunei, won significant victories in local elections, casting a different light on Malaysian politics. However, Jomo pointed out that this type of politics was abruptly halted by political repression in the mid-to-late 1960s. This repression, which targeted Tan and other dissidents, led to the emergence of race-based politics in the country.
Jomo urged Malaysians to recognize this history, as it has been largely overlooked in official historical narratives. He stressed that this period of politics was pan-ethnic and not as race-focused as it has become, and called on young Malaysians to build upon Tan's legacy by embracing a wider range of political issues and not being confined to ethnic divisions.
Written by urgent.news from Free Malaysia Today's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
This story
This is one outlet's version. Read the fullest account.
- Legasi Tan Chee Khoon bukti politik tak perlu berasaskan kaum, kata Jomo freemalaysiatoday.com
