KUALA LUMPUR: Former Umno president Dr Mahathir Mohamad has issued a dire warning to the Malays about their future and urged them to reflect on their fate.
In his latest blog posting, titled 'Melayu Kemana' (Whither Malays), Mahathir, who also served as prime minister for 22 years, said he was willing to face the consequences of voicing his views on this matter.
After a lengthy history lesson ranging from the Malayan Union to the sacking of Anwar Ibrahim in 1998, the 84-year-old statesman lamented that the Malays were now separated along three political boundaries, Umno, PAS and PKR.
“With these three parties, the Malays, who were once the majority making up 60% of the population, are now broken up and divided.
“None of these parties command the support of the majority, each receiving not more than 30%. So in other words, the Malays have become the minority in this country,” he said.
Furthermore, Mahathir warned that being the minority group, the Malays would cease to be the major force if they joined mixed parties.
“They might be placed as the top leaders in the federal and state governments, but they would have to follow the directions of their friends,” he added.
The Perak and Singapore examples
Citing the collapse of the Pakatan state government in Perak, Mahathir said: “A particular race had felt as if it was a government which belonged to that race which was ousted.”
This was an obvious reference to the Chinese community as detractors had accused the state's former Pakatan menteri besar, PAS' Mohd Nizar Jamaluddin of being a DAP stooge.
Painting a bleak picture for the Malays under Pakatan's rule, Mahathir said even those holding top federal posts would have to operate under the guidance of others.
“There is a big possibility that the Malays have become a minority group and no longer possess power in their own country.
“If they feel they would be treated well even without power, they should look at the fate of the Malays who are the minority in a neigbhouring country,” he added in reference to Singapore.
Mahathir also reminded the Malays of the proverb, “united we stand, divided we fall”. “The choice is yours,” he said.
The former premier also made it clear that he was not concerned about the criticisms which his comments would court.
“I would be accused as a chauvinist and racist for this. But I am willing to be labelled anything. My intention is to remind you (the Malays) before it is too late,” he said.
