Dr Mahathir revives Malay rhetoric as Pejuang sets sights on Putrajaya

KUALA LUMPUR – Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad has reinvigorated his Malay agenda, as his newly registered party Pejuang looks to wrest power from the Perikatan Nasional government.

While he professed a secular front when he led the Pakatan Harapan coalition, the former prime minister is now playing a different tune when the chips are down – reverting to the Malay nationalist rhetoric.

In a video interview with MalaysiaGazette on Tuesday, Dr Mahathir said Pejuang is a Malay-based and Bumiputera party, and “clearly and sincerely” admits it.

“We realise that we formed this party because our country is originally a Malay country.

“We are willing to share the country with other people, but not until the sharing results in us becoming among the poorest or most downtrodden (people).”

The 96-year-old lawmaker lamented that the Malays of the country are in a state of disunity to a point where they have lost power “due to greed”.

Malay leaders struggle for positions not to help their country, race or religion, but for monetary gain, he added.

“There are Malays who form (political) parties not because they want to serve the country, but because they want to hold posts, with some wanting to become prime minister, deputy minister, minister and so on.

“That’s what drives them.”

In another interview with comedian Harith Iskandar on the What’s Going on Malaysia? show, Dr Mahathir said when the Malays are split, it is the non-Malays who decide the leadership of the nation.

The ones who determine the winners of elections in Malay areas are the Chinese and Indians, he added.

Dr Mahathir cited the 1969 election, when he lost to a PAS candidate, as an example of divisions in the Malay community.

“At the time, the constituency had 35,000 voters, and I contested against a PAS candidate,” he said, as quoted by Sinar Harian.

“I should have won due to the Malays, but it was split into two. Half were with PAS, and the other half supported me; but the ones who determined the winner were the Chinese.

“The Chinese did not like me then, so they gave their votes to PAS.”

However, his comments during the MalaysiaGazette interview were received with harsh retorts from viewers – many, if not all, of them believed to be from the Malay community.

A YouTube user who goes by the name Shafiq Abdullah highlighted Dr Mahathir’s past criticism of the Malay community

“Wow, there’s no denying the politics of resistance in the Malay land. Before this, Tun (Dr Mahathir) called Malays ‘lazy’, and now he’s talking about Malay land. Don’t spin this.”

On the other hand, user Din Encik questioned Pejuang’s contributions to the Malay community.

“What deeds have the grandfather’s Malay party done (other than) divide the Malays(?)”

Zamri Rejab, another commenter on the video, claimed that the Langkawi MP is the source of division among the Malays.

“We no longer support your struggle! You are the true ‘father’ of disunity for the Malays. Damned!”

Mohamad Khair Abd Razak said Dr Mahathir has been using the same rhetoric for the past 22 years, from his first tenure as prime minister in 1981 to 2003.

“The people are no longer stupid. What’s certain is that for 22 years (and even) until now he stands by his party’s cronyism agenda.

“I used to support Tun (Dr Mahathir), but never again.” – The Vibes, July 16, 2021