RICHMOND Councillor Kash Heed, the former solicitor general and West Vancouver Police chief, on Friday slammed the attempt by some in the Chinese Canadian community to try and divide people on the basis of race even as a poll shows that he is leading in the Richmond mayoral race.

An article in Chinese on mp.weixin.qq.com — “Why is Richmond, where the majority of the population is Chinese, most likely to elect an Indian mayor?” (translation by Google) — that is circulating around in the Chinese Canadian community spreads the usual stereotypes about South Asians while urging Chinese Canadians to support candidates from their own community.

Jason Liu notes: “According to the 2021 census, Chinese Canadians make up 54% of Richmond’s population, the highest percentage of Chinese Canadians in all of Canada; South Asians make up only 7.4%. However, in a Pallas Data poll released in mid-July this year, the mayoral frontrunner was none other than the Indian-Canadian candidate, former BC Minister of Public Safety Kash Heed, with 20% support. Sheldon Starrett, from the conservative camp, came in second with 11.3%, and former MLA Rob Howard with 5.9%.”

(https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/4AKFYHnobmoyWbXteJIxBQ)

He uses the image shown here to urge Chinese Canadians to vote for Chinese Canadian candidates.

Heed does not wear a turban and is as Canadian as a Canadian can be. He told The VOICE he has never used his race to gain any position but believes in qualification and competence.

The portrayal in the image is being seen as an an attempt to whip up prejudice against Heed and divide the Richmond community.