I UNDERSTAND that Parti Bersama Malaysia has received significant negative feedback from Muslim voters regarding the party’s Perling candidate Boo Wei Han’s recent ceramah.
The two main criticisms are that (i) the issue is purely a Selangor matter and has nothing to do with Johor and that (ii) it touches on Muslim sensitivities.
However, I believe both arguments are misplaced.
While the issue originated in Selangor, it has caused deep concern among the Chinese community across the entire country.
Many view this as the beginning of a broader effort to restrict their lifestyle and means of livelihood of non-Muslims.
The Malaysian Chinese community is not against modernising pig farms or re-locating them to more isolated areas but they strongly oppose being forced to shut down their businesses entirely and lose their livelihoods. Pig rearing has been around for decades.
Their fear is legitimate: if Selangor can do this, other states may follow suit and begin closing down pig farms or other businesses simply because the majority finds them unacceptable.
Revive ‘Old Malaysia’ spirit
We have already seen Kedah’s attempts to shut down all 4D outlets. Therefore, it is inaccurate to dismiss this as merely a “Selangor issue.” It is a national concern for Malaysian Chinese.
On the question of Muslim sensitivities, I believe respect must work both ways. Many of these so-called sensitive issues were not considered sensitive in the 1950s, 1960s, 1970s, or even the 1980s.
In a multi-racial and multi-religious country like Malaysia, mutual respect is essential.
I fully support your commitment to Bersama’s vision of new politics and moving away from the old, divisive ways.
One of the best paths forward is to champion the “middle way”, ie the spirit of the old Malaysia which prioritised harmony and pragmatism.
The current politics of constant racial and religious bullying will only lead the country to ruin.
What you are doing is commendable. You should continue to give your candidates the space to speak their minds.
As you rightly said, they should reflect the genuine worries of their voters. In this case, there is little doubt that Boo Wei Han was voicing the real concerns of the Johor Chinese community. – June 30, 2026
Renowned political commentator and inaugural director of the Asia Institute at the University of Tasmania, Prof James Chin is also a Senior Research Associate at the Tun Tan Cheng Lock Centre for Social and Policy Studies (TCLI) at Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman (UTAR).
The views expressed are solely of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Focus Malaysia.
Main image credit: Oh My Media
