Malaysia: A Chinese-ethnic Officer's Promotion Intensifies Ethnic Tensions

This controversy was sparked by the promotion of Major General Lim Eng Chong to the rank of "Three-Star General," making him the first ethnic Chinese senior officer in Malaysia to hold this rank. On social media, a member of the Pan-Malaysian Islamic Party (PAS) launched an attack, hypothetically assuming a "Palestinian scenario." The background is the low participation rate of minority groups in the military, which is mainly composed of Malays.

Kuala Lumpur (Asia News) – After the historic promotion of a Chinese officer in the army, which has traditionally been dominated by Malays and Muslims, a Facebook post rekindled racial and religious tensions in Malaysia.

A well-known local figure of the Pan-Malaysian Islamic Party, Abdul Hadi Awang's son-in-law Zaharuddin Mohamed shared a provocative post, speculating about the election of a Chinese prime minister.

The post was accompanied by a photo of Lieutenant General Lim Eng Chong, who is the first ethnic Chinese person in the Malaysian Armed Forces to achieve the rank of three-star general.

The post was later deleted, but Zaharuddin reiterated his view, arguing that his comments were hypothetical and provocative, related to the "Malaysia My Second Home" program, which aims to facilitate entry for foreign citizens.

He believed that this was similar to the Palestinian situation, a controversial issue in Muslim-majority countries in Southeast Asia, which could lead to an election of a "newcomer" as prime minister in 2058. He said that the photo of Lin was just to illustrate the situation and was irrelevant to the content.

His words actually triggered a wave of criticism: DAP member John accused Zaharuddin of wanting to "incite racial disputes" and urged him to apologize to the military and General Lin.

The Pan-Malaysian Islamic Party also distanced itself, calling the post "racist," which contradicts its claimed principles of unity and diversity. Secretary-General Takiyuddin Hassan said, "Any form of racism has no place in our party."

Lim Eng Chong comes from the state of Malacca and joined the army in the final stages of the rebellion in 1984.

He graduated from the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst in the UK and served in the Royal Hussars, and now he is the director of the Malaysian Armed Forces Defence College.

He commented: "To say I am proud of this achievement is an understatement. All the efforts are worth it."

His promotion came at a delicate moment for the armed forces, which have long struggled to attract members from minority groups. According to official data from 2022, out of more than 113,000 military personnel, only 0.13% are Chinese; 86% are from Malay and Muslim majority groups.

Indians account for 1.4%, while 12% come from Sabah and Sarawak in East Malaysia. Before Lim, the highest rank achieved by minority group members was Colonel, and many left the military with lower ranks.

"We hope his example will encourage citizens of all races to take this path. The armed forces are the best representation of the 'one nation' principle," senior military leaders stated at the promotion ceremony earlier this week.

Malaysia's background is still marked by racial tensions that have never been fully resolved. For example, the conflict between Malaysia and the Chinese community in 1969 is still alive in collective memory.

In recent years, "culture wars" have reignited, especially on social media after the 2022 elections. In those elections, PAS won 49 seats, becoming the political party with the most elected members in the Malaysian Parliament, totaling 222 seats.

Sources: Asia News

Original: https://www.toutiao.com/article/1836745730387980/

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