MALAYSIA — Malaysia’s former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, in his race-based rhetoric, claims that the Chinese Malaysians are seeking to gain political dominance to create political disparity in the government administration.
The Kedah-born politician, who turned 98 yesterday, said he was impressed by the ideas and ability that Chinese Malaysians have after visiting one of the newest shopping complexes in the capital city that he described as a “fantastic development” and grander than those in London, Tokyo or Seoul.
“The Malays cannot do it. They don’t have the money or the ideas. Their shops are the stalls on the roadside, ramshackle affairs, with blue plastic roofs,” he said in his Facebook post today.
In a Facebook post entitled A Shopping Complex, he chronicled his visit to the shopping complex in Kuala Lumpur.
He toured the complex in a buggy as it was too long to walk.
He said it was not a shopping complex but a town, a fully air-conditioned town protected from the sun and rain.
“There are streets lined with brand named shops, with products displayed beautifully. There are restaurants and supermarkets. Outside more streets, paved, lined by beautifully designed shops. Then there are high rise condos.
“It is a fantastic development and must have cost billions. I am sure the project belong to Malaysian Chinese.
He acknowledged that Malaysia’s ethnic Chinese have contributed to the country’s growth through the years and continue to do so with their business acumen.
“Really the Malaysian Chinese have good ideas and the money to realise these ideas. Much of development in this country are by the Malaysian Chinese.”
The Malays cannot do it. They don’t have the money or the ideas. Their shops are the stalls on the roadside, ramshackle affairs, with blue plastic roofs.
”Yes, there are Malays who have made good, but there are so few of them. The Malays accepted that the Chinese dominate the economy. They are very good in business. The Malays cannot compete against them.
”But in the past the Malays dominate the political arena and the administration. So there was a balance. But not now. Now the Chinese are also politically powerful,” he said.
They (Chinese) intend to be even more powerful, if they dominate the political arena also, what is there left for the Malays? He asked provocatively, Is it wrong for the Malays to try to regain a little of their former political dominance?
For over 60 years, the Malays dominated the government because the Malays were striving for unity instead of against the Chinese, he said.
“It was during that time that the Chinese of Malaysia greatly prospered. If the Malays regains the political power, the Chinese would still be needed to prosper the nation.
”The country would still be a Malay country. It had always been a Malay country. The population may be multiracial. But it does not mean that this country has ceased to be a Malay country.
“In other countries where migrants settle, they become assimilated. The Malays made a concession to accommodate Chinese and Indians migrants. They need not be assimilated upon gaining citizenship. But that does not mean that the identity of this country must change.
He ended his post telling the Chinese to continue to make money in Malaysia, by all means.
“Build your super shopping towns. But do not deprive the Malays of their country and their history. Allow the Malays to have their share,” he said.
Dr Mahathir, who competed in GE15 last November but failed to defend his Langkawi parliamentary seat, has recently been pushing the narrative that Malays are under siege in their own country.
In another recent post on social media, Dr Mahathir claimed Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim is beholden to the Chinese-dominated Democratic Action Party (DAP) even though the party only has four ministers in the Cabinet.
The former two-time prime minister also claimed that promoting a multi-ethnic Malaysia is unconstitutional, and alleged that the Federal Constitution is steeped in “Malayness”.
In a series of tweets, Dr Mahathir claimed that the DAP had a “manifesto” to turn the country into a multi-ethnic secular one without a religion of the federation, and that the Anwar administration would collapse if the party’s 40 MPs chose to withdraw their support for the PKR president.
His remark was slammed by many in the government as baseless, including Anwar and DAP secretary-general Anthony Loke.
The Malaysian Bar has also condemned him for selectively interpreting the Federal Constitution.
