MALAYSIA — Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamad, the former Prime Minister of Malaysia claimed that the practice of promoting a multicultural country “goes against the Federal Constitution”.
According to him, instead, the Constitution emphasises the Malayness of Malaysia.
“Instead, the Constitution emphasizes the Malayness of Malaysia,” he said in a Facebook post on Monday (3 July).
The 97-year-old two-time former Prime Minister questioned the statement of the Information Chief of the UMNO Bukit Gelugor division, Mohd. Huzaidi Mohd. Hussin, who asked him to refrain from playing on racial sentiments and instead focus on provisions in the Constitution.
“The current government claims that Malaysia is a democratic country. Supposedly, there is freedom of speech. ”
“I am merely advocating for the provisions in the Malaysian Constitution. Does defending the Malaysian Constitution violate the law?” he asked.
Dr. M accused that DAP aims to make Malaysia a multicultural country
Furthermore, Dr. Mahathir alleged that the current Malaysian Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, is forced to adhere to the Democratic Action Party (DAP) manifesto, which aims to make Malaysia a multicultural country and replace Islam as the official religion with secularism.
“Yes, DAP only has four Ministers. But in the government, there are 40 DAP members of Parliament. If DAP withdraws, Anwar’s government will collapse.”
“That is why Anwar is compelled to align with the DAP manifesto, specifically turning Malaysia, a Malay land, into a multicultural country, and replacing the official religion of Islam with a secular state with no official religion. ”
“Hence, Malaysia’s membership in the OIC (Organization of Islamic Cooperation) will be forfeited,” he claimed.
Dr. M calls other non-Malay Malaysians ” foreign immigrants”
In the latest statement he published on Facebook on Wednesday (4 Jul), Dr. Mahathir warned that Malays will “lose their country and fade away from the world.”
He claimed that there has never been a case where foreign immigrants or their descendants, who have been granted asylum in a country, demand that the country, which has granted them citizenship, be transformed into a multicultural country of immigrant communities.
“This is what ‘Malaysian Malaysia’ signifies. The Malay nation ‘should undergo a transformation into a multicultural country known as Malaysian Malaysia’.”
Dr. Mahathir alleged that the concept entails abolishing Malay land and replacing it with a diverse, multicultural nation of Malaysian Malaysia.”
Dr. M named PAP founder Lee Kuan Yew for proposing Malaysian Malaysia
He said the attempt was first introduced by the British Malayan Union. It was rejected. However, the PAP party led by Lee Kuan Yew also proposed Malaysian Malaysia with the same objective, but was rejected in the 1964 general election.
“Now, DAP, supported by the Parti Keadilan and Amanah, once again introduces the same goal, which is that Malaysia is not a country originally based on Malay land, but Malaysia is a multicultural country.”
He claimed that in a multicultural country, there is no difference in status between Malays as indigenous people and foreign immigrants and their descendants. Therefore, all ethnic groups have the same status.
“Since before independence, the administrative machinery, police, and military have been led and predominantly occupied by Malays. As a multicultural country, the government administration, police, and military should be led and predominantly occupied by various ethnic groups.”
Dr, M reiterates Malays’ challenges in finding a place within business and industry
Dr. M also raised concerns about the economic sector, emphasizing that Malays continue to face challenges in finding a place within business and industry.
In March 2023, Dr. M introduced the “Malay Proclamation,” a 12-point document aimed at safeguarding the interests of the Malay community and uniting them to regain political power.
Mahathir said it is up to the Malays to consider whether the situation in a multicultural country will benefit them or not.
However, he defended that the Proclamation of the Malays does not intend to seize the rights and property of others; instead, it seeks justice.
“That is the recognition of this Peninsula as Malay land, accepting immigrants and their descendants as an assimilated race like the Arab, Indian, Pakistani, Indonesian, and others assimilated into the Malay race. Accepting the Malay language as the national language.”
“For immigrants and their descendants who wish to maintain their identity with their original country, their treatment will naturally be different from the treatment of native residents and those who fully embrace the national language and culture,” he said.
Dr. Mahathir received backlash from other Malaysian politicians
Dr. Mahathir’s remarks have received significant backlash from other Malaysian politicians. Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi criticized him, stating that Dr. Mahathir is being provocative because he has “nothing better to do in his old age.”
“I think I will leave it to the prime minister to reply, but knowing him, he will likely continue to be provocative, and I don’t intend to respond to his provocation,” said Zahid.
According to Malay Mail, Zahid mentioned that Dr. Mahathir uses a repetitive template to provoke others, which keeps him alert because, at his age, “he needs that to carry on with life.”
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim retaliated against Dr. Mahathir’s accusations regarding his Unity government’s adherence to DAP’s manifesto, asserting that he is no one’s political puppet.
“Recently, there was an argument suggesting that we, the unity government, were bowing down to DAP. Let me tell you this: I am the PM of this country, and I am no one’s puppet,” Anwar stated during an event on Tuesday, as reported by the New Straits Times.
Anwar also emphasized that DAP had never questioned any programs or allocations set aside by the federal government to improve the well-being and welfare of the Malays and the Muslim community in the country.
He also dismissed claims that his administration had sidelined the welfare of Islam and the Malay community in the country.
Dr.Mahathir, the 97-year-old political veteran, strives for relevance in Malaysian politics
As Malaysia’s fourth Prime Minister, Mahathir held his premiership from 1981 to 2003, during which time the Barisan National coalition secured an undeniable two-thirds majority.
In 2015, Mahathir called for the resignation of BN’s chairman and then-PM Najib Razik over the 1MDB corruption scandal. He left UMNO the following year and founded the Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (BERSATU).
Mahathir officially joined the opposition coalition Pakatan Harapan (PH) and won Malaysia’s 14th General Election. He once again led the government as the country’s seventh prime minister for 22 months, from May 2018 until February 2020.
Mahathir was expelled from Bersatu following a change in government through the Sheraton Move, which saw the PH government collapse and being replaced by the PN government led by Muhyiddin.
After his tenure, Mahathir announced the formation of a new political party, the Homeland Fighters’ Party (PEJUANG), but he failed to defend his seat in the Langkawi constituency during the 15th Malaysia General Election, losing by a significant margin.
On 25 February 2023, Mahathir and 13 former PEJUANG members joined Parti Bumiputera Perkasa Malaysia (Putra) after leaving PEJUANG on 10 February.
In March 2023, Dr. Mahathir launched the “Malay Proclamation,” and it was reported that certain Malay leaders, including Malaysian Islamic Party (PAS) president Tan Sri Abdul Hadi Awang, endorsed the proclamation in May.
On 12 May 2023, Mahathir confirmed his departure from GTA and expressed his commitment to promoting the “Malay Proclamation.”
Dr. Mahathir recently met with another former Prime Minister, Muhyiddin Yassin, who is the Chairman of the National Alliance (PN), to discuss their collaboration regarding the latter’s Malay Proclamation agenda.
