"Playing the race card" is an idiomatic phrase that refers to the exploitation by someone of either racist or anti-racist attitudes in the audience in order to gain an advantage. [1] [2] [3] It constitutes an accusation of bad faith directed at the person or persons raising concerns as regards racism. [4]
The phrase is generally used by people to allege that someone has deliberately and falsely accused another person or group of people of being a racist in order to gain some sort of advantage. [4] [5] An example of this use of the term occurred during the O. J. Simpson murder case, when critics accused the defense of "playing the race card", [6] in presenting Mark Fuhrman's past as reasons to draw his credibility as a witness into question.
Stanford Law School professor Richard Thompson Ford has argued that the race card can be played independently of the person making the claim, or the race in question. An example cited was the Hillary Clinton campaign's assertion that Barack Obama won the 2008 Democratic primary in South Carolina owing to the disproportionate number of black registered Democrats in the state, implying more racism in the general population. [7]
George Dei, et al. , in the book Playing the Race Card, [8] argue that the term itself is a rhetorical device used in an effort to devalue and minimize claims of racism.
The phrase has been used to describe racist mobilisations by politicians, as for example with the campaign to elect Peter Griffiths, the Conservative Party candidate for Smethwick in the 1964 UK general election. However, the term was only applied to describe this situation in the 1980s. [9]
In February 2008, Group Chief Editor Wong Chun Wai of The Star wrote, just before the Malaysia general election came, there is an unusual degree of tolerance and flexibility in matters of race, language and religion as politicians try to woo the people. "Also, there are those who still continue to play the race card, in this age and time. At their party conferences each year, they play to the gallery by projecting themselves as the communal heroes. But during the general election, they shamelessly become the true Malaysian leaders we dream of. They greet their voters in Malay, English, Mandarin and Tamil; and if they can speak all these languages fluently, they would do so." [10]
In August 2006, the Singapore Institute of International Affairs wrote that Malaysia politician Khairy Jamaluddin "played the race card" by stirring up the Malays and the Chinese Malaysian community. Responding to criticisms and demands for an apology, Khairy said his remarks were misunderstood and he "will not apologize" as he was acting only "in defense of the Malays and his party" and that "if we truly fight for our race, one should not apologize". [11]
Nik Abdul Aziz bin Nik Mat was a Malaysian politician and Muslim cleric. He was the Menteri Besar of Kelantan from 1990 to 2013 and the Mursyidul Am or Spiritual Leader of the Pan-Malaysian Islamic Party (PAS) from 1991 until his death in 2015. Overall, his career as an elected politician lasted for some 48 years following his election to the Parliament of Malaysia in 1967.
Malaysian Malay, also known as Standard Malay, Bahasa Malaysia, or simply Malay, is a standardized form of the Malay language used in Malaysia and also used in Brunei and Singapore. Malaysian Malay is standardized from the Johore-Riau dialect of Malay. It is spoken by much of the Malaysian population, although most learn a vernacular form of Malay or another native language first. Malay is a compulsory subject in primary and secondary schools.
Khairy Jamaluddin Abu Bakar often referred to by his initials KJ, is a Malaysian politician, radio presenter and podcaster. Alongside being a radio presenter for Hot FM, he hosts Keluar Sekejap with Shahril Hamdan, a podcast in which they discuss Malaysian politics and current affairs with a variety of guests. Khairy is also one of the Members of the Board and Youth Advisor at JDT, as well as a visiting senior fellow at the ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute. He most recently served as Minister of Health in the Barisan Nasional (BN) administration under former Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob from August 2021 to November 2022.
Covert racism is a form of racial discrimination that is disguised and subtle, rather than public or obvious. Concealed in the fabric of society, covert racism discriminates against individuals through often evasive or seemingly passive methods. Covert, racially biased decisions are often hidden or rationalized with an explanation that society is more willing to accept. These racial biases cause a variety of problems that work to empower the suppressors while diminishing the rights and powers of the oppressed. Covert racism often works subliminally, and much of the discrimination is done subconsciously.
Badruddin bin Amiruldin is a Malaysian politician. He is currently the Permanent Chairman of the United Malays National Organisation (UMNO), the largest Malay political party in the country and the leader of the Barisan Nasional (BN) coalition. Badruddin was also, until his defeat in the March 2008 General Elections, the Member of Parliament for the constituency of Jerai, Kedah in the lower house of Parliament, the Dewan Rakyat.
Dato’ Seri Mohamed Nazri bin Abdul Aziz is a Malaysian politician and diplomat who has served as Malaysian Ambassador to the United States since February 2023. He served as the Minister of Tourism and Culture from May 2013 to May 2018, Minister in the Prime Minister's Department in charge of legal affairs from March 2004 to May 2013, Minister of Entrepreneur Development from December 1999 to March 2004, Deputy Minister of Finance I from November 1996 to December 1999, Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister's Department from May 1995 to November 1996 and the Member of Parliament (MP) for Padang Rengas from March 2004 to November 2022.
Racism in Asia is multi-faceted and has roots in events that have happened from centuries ago to the present. Racism in Asia may occur from nation against nation, or within each nation's ethnic groups, or from region against region.
Mohamad Khir bin Toyo is the former Chief Minister of the state of Selangor in Malaysia from 2000 to 2008. His Barisan Nasional (BN) government was defeated in the 2008 general election, following which he served as the state's Opposition Leader until December 2010. He was a member of the Selangor State Legislative Assembly (MLA) from 1999 to 2013, for the seat of Sungai Panjang. He is a member of the United Malays National Organisation (UMNO), a component party of the Barisan Nasional (BN) coalition
The concept of race or ethnicity in contemporary Singapore emerged from the attitudes of the colonial authorities towards race and ethnicity. Before the early 2000s, the four major races in Singapore were the Chinese, Malays, Indians and Eurasians. Today, the Chinese-Malay-Indian-Others (CMIO) model is the dominant organising framework of race in Singapore. Race informs government policies on a variety of issues such as political participation, public housing and education. However, the state's management of race, as well as the relevance of the CMIO model, has been a point of contention amongst some in recent years.
Racial politics or race politics is the use of race, as a human categorization or hierarchical identifier, in political discourse, campaigns, or within the societal and cultural climate created by such practice. The phenomenon can involve the activity of political actors exploiting the issue of race to forward an agenda.
David Nga Kor Ming is a Malaysian politician and lawyer who has served as the Minister of Housing and Local Government in the Anwar Ibrahim Cabinet since December 2022. He served as Deputy Speaker of the Dewan Rakyat under former Speaker Mohamad Ariff Md Yusof from July 2018 to his resignation in July 2020. He was also a member of the Perak State Executive Council (EXCO) in the Pakatan Rakyat (PR) state administration under former Menteri Besar Mohammad Nizar Jamaluddin from March 2008 to the collapse of the administration in February 2009. He has also served as the Member of Parliament for Teluk Intan since May 2018 and for Taiping from March 2008 to May 2018. He has been a Member of the Perak State Legislative Assembly for Kepayang from May 2013 to May 2018, and again since November 2022, for Aulong from May 2018 to November 2022, and for Pantai Remis from November 1999 to March 2013. He is a member of the Democratic Action Party (DAP), a component party of the PH coalition. He has also served as National Vice Chairman and 3rd Parliamentary Leader of DAP since March 2022, and State Chairman of DAP of Perak. He served as Deputy Secretary-General of DAP from November 2017 to March 2022.
Laissez-faire racism is closely related to color blindness and covert racism, and is theorised to encompass an ideology that blames minorities for their poorer economic situations, viewing it as the result of cultural inferiority. The term is used largely by scholars of whiteness studies, who argue that laissez-faire racism has tangible consequences even though few would openly claim to be, or even believe they are, laissez-faire racists.
Dato' Dr. Ibrahim bin Ali is a Malaysian politician. He is informally known as Tok Him. He served as the Member of Parliament (MP) for Pasir Mas from August 1986 to April 1995 and again from March 2008 to May 2013. He is a member of the Parti Bumiputera Perkasa Malaysia (PUTRA), a component party of the Gerakan Tanah Air (GTA) opposition coalition. He has served as the 1st and founding President of PUTRA since May 2019. He is also founding President of the Malay dominance organisation Pertubuhan Pribumi Perkasa (PERKASA).
"Untuk Negeri Kita" is the state anthem of the Malaysian state of Penang. It was written by Penang born composer and jazz musician James W. Boyle. The anthem was subsequently played for the first time on 22 December 1972, during the birthday celebrations of the then Governor of Penang, Tun Syed Sheh Hassan Barakbah.
Muhammad Leo Michael Toyad bin Abdullah is a Malaysian politician. He is the former Member of the Parliament of Malaysia for the Mukah constituency in Sarawak, representing the Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu (PBB) in the ruling Barisan Nasional (BN) coalition.
Pengkalan Kota is a state constituency in Penang, Malaysia, that has been represented in the Penang State Legislative Assembly since 1974. It covers the eastern quayside of George Town's city centre and its historic Seven Streets Precinct.
The 12th Penang election was held on 8 March 2008. Polling took place in 40 constituencies throughout the State of Penang, with each electing a State Assemblyman to the Penang State Legislative Assembly. The election was conducted by the Malaysian Election Commission.
Noor Azmi bin Ghazali is a Malaysian politician and physician who served as Deputy Minister of Health I for the second term in the Barisan Nasional (BN) administration under former Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob and former Minister Khairy Jamaluddin from August 2021 to the collapse of the BN administration in November 2022 and the first term in the Perikatan Nasional (PN) administration under former Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin and former Minister Adham Baba from March 2020 to the collapse of the BN administration in August 2021, Chairman of the Malaysian Highway Authority (LLM) from October 2016 to October 2018 as well as the Member of Parliament (MP) for Bagan Serai from May 2018 to November 2022. He is a member of the Malaysian United Indigenous Party (BERSATU), a component party of the PN coalition and was a member of the United Malays National Organisation (UMNO), a component party of the BN coalition. After the defeat of BN to Pakatan Harapan (PH) in the 2018 general election, he resigned from UMNO in 2018 and joined BERSATU in 2019.
"Go back to where you came from" is a racist or xenophobic epithet which is used in many countries, and it is mainly used to target immigrants and/or ethnic groups whose members are falsely considered to be immigrants.
MySejahtera is a mobile application developed by Entomo Malaysia and the Government of Malaysia to manage the COVID-19 outbreak in Malaysia. It can be used to conduct contact tracing, self-quarantine, and also book COVID-19 vaccination appointments.