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Non-Malays are ducking for cover as Malaysian politics' annual version of the silly season - coinciding with next week's ruling-party conference - gets into full swing.

As  leaders compete for prominence ahead of the general assembly of the United Malays National Organisation, they have called for Chinatown to be given a 'Malay makeover' and said Malays are the nation's 'pivotal race'.

'Their political profile shoots up but we non-Malays end up as whipping dogs,' said opposition politician Tian Chua. 'They play this game every year.'

On Saturday, Culture and Heritage Minister  Rais Yatim - who came under fire last year for proposing interfaith dialogue - announced that Kuala Lumpur's Chinatown needed to be more Malay.

Dr Rais said Chinatown, which is visited by about 2 million tourists annually, needs a 'multicultural' facelift to better reflect the country's makeup.

Not to be outdone, on Sunday Ghani Othman, the Harvard-educated chief minister of Johore state, said 'bangsa Malaysia' or Malaysian race - a concept pushed by the government - was impossible.

The government preaches that the mixing of races over time would produce a  race that is neither Malay nor Chinese, nor Indian - the three main races - but something that is uniquely Malaysian.

'Malays reject it. It is a nebulous concept and a threat to Malays and to national security,' Mr Ghani told a gathering of Malays. 'Even if we use the term, Malays are the pivotal race.'

Political analysts say grandstanding is  inevitable in a  system  based on race and religion.

Political scientist Razak Baginda said Malay leaders were competing for attention.

'They want to enter the great hall at the assembly as heroes. That's why they sometimes say  outrageous things. Every non-Malay political leader also grandstands to win support,' Mr Razak  said.

'But what is important in the end is the rapprochement that takes place behind the doors in the National Front,' he said, referring to the coalition of 13 political parties that make up the racially mixed government.



Non-Malays take cover as Umno's annual 'silly season' gets under way