Gerakan has urged the Defence Ministry to exhaust all plausible means including soliciting non-government organizations and relevant groups to help recruit non-Malays including Chinese and Indians into the military, instead of pinpointing fingers.

Gerakan vice-president Datuk Mah Siew Keong said the party is disappointed with Defence Minister Datuk Seri Zahid Hamidi’s reasoning that the low number of Chinese and Indian recruits in the military could be due to “lack of patriotism”.

“Such a remark is unfair and unwarranted,” Mah said in statement.

“We certainly do not need such myopic views. It is more important to address the problem (if there is). Publicity on the recruitment exercises will also be more effective,” Mah added.

Mah, who is also Gerakan’s head of Economic Development Bureau, pointed out that the Federation of Chinese Associations Malaysia had recently helped with success in the recruitment for the civil service and the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC).

Zahid told the Dewan Rakyat during Question time on Monday when replying to Mohd Jidin Shafee (BN-Setiu) that from 2008 to 2009, 8,151 or 90 percent of those recruited were Malays, 26 or 0.29 percent were Chinese and 82 or 0.91 percent were Indians, while 795 or 8.8 percent were ‘others’ including Sabah and Sarawak bumiputeras.

“The ministry finds that the participation of non-Malays especially among the Chinese and Indians is still below par,” Zahid said.

Besides the lack of “patriotic spirit”, Zahid also pointed out other reasons that could have resulted in the poor participation of other races in the MAF.