Malaysian leaders are always warning us of the dangers of being recolonised and about how hard they struggled for independence. I can understand these sentiments if they came from our elderly leaders who have lived under colonial rule.

During the colonial era, Malays were given administrative jobs, Chinese were sent to work in the tin mines and Indians were sent to the estates. "Divide and rule" — that was the British system.

Today in Malaysia, despite the many years of independence, we still cling to this colonial practice of ruling via division in the form of Umno, MCA and MIC.

I do not see why Malaysians should condone this racial divide anymore. Why are our leaders who are so against the colonisers and anything to do with them still behaving like their former colonial masters?

Racial-based parties should not be supported in a multi-racial nation. It is time the three component parties of the ruling coalition disband and reunite under one party. Perhaps only then it would regain the support of the majority.