Minister of national unity Joseph Kurup has come under fire for playing the race card in a Kajang Rukun Tetangga meeting yesterday. He reportedly asked the group of predominantly Chinese residents to “vote for the Barisan Nasional candidate that is one from your own race” while in a Kajang Rukun Tetangga at Sungai Chuah.

This prompted Seputeh MP Teresa Kok to ask “Are you a Minister of Unity or Disunity?”.

The Minister, who had suggested last month that Malaysia should take a major step towards creating a single national identity by removing the “race” category from all official forms did not echo the same concern for national unity when asking the Sungai Chua residents to vote for Barisan Nasional’s Chew Mei Fun while handing out goodies them.

The Seputeh MP also pointed out that the Rukun Tetangga is a progamme under the National Unity Department as its purpose is not only to help check neighbourhood crime, but also to promote racial integration and national unity.

“This is most unbecoming and irresponsible of a Minister in charge of national unity. How could a minister in charge of national unity play racial card in a by election.I call on the Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib to state his stand; if he wants to have a minister of disunity in his Cabinet?!” she fired. -The Rocket