KUALA LUMPUR – Despite being a Malay-dominated government, Perikatan Nasional has failed to achieve stability, said Pakatan Harapan vice-president Datuk Seri Salahuddin Ayub.
“Their government is 99.9 % Malay – from ministers to deputies, except for a fraction from MIC and MCA,” he told The Malaysian Insight.
“It’s been a year since PN and Muafakat Nasional (the Umno-PAS political cooperation) have been in control. What more do they want?
“There is still infighting among themselves, and now, people are questioning their integrity.”
This shows that good governance depends on integrity and good morals, not racial rhetoric, he said.
He added that the PN government does not have to face accusations of being controlled by the Chinese-dominated DAP, as had happened during the PH administration.
“Now, they should be united. There are no DAP or Chinese issues anymore. DAP is not there (in the cabinet).
“They (PN) have a large Malay majority, and yet, there is still infighting. There are issues between Umno and Bersatu. PAS also looks like it’s untrustworthy.”
The PN government led by Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin has 32 ministers – among them are 11 from Bersatu, Umno (9) and PAS (3). The rest are from Sarawak, Parti Bersatu Sabah, MCA and MIC.
When PN came to power on March 1 last year, it was premised on a Malay government, with the partnership between Bersatu, Umno and PAS.
A year on, ties between Umno and Bersatu have deteriorated to the point that the Barisan Nasional lynchpin issued a statement against political cooperation in the next general election.
Last week, it said it will remain with PN until the dissolution of Parliament.
In response, Bersatu said it will focus on working with other PN partners, namely PAS and regional and smaller parties.
During PH’s 22 months in government, the coalition was often accused of neglecting Malay rights and privileges.
In the TMI interview, Salahuddin said PH should learn a lesson from PN – that having a Malay majority is not a guarantee of a government’s leadership and performance.
“As for now (in the PN government), there are no checks and balances. That is an issue that needs to be told to the people.
“There is no guarantee that having a Malay majority will bring about a stable government. The emphasis of a Malay, Chinese, Indian or Iban government must be established on the basis of integrity and good character.
“We will explain this to the people for the next general election.”
However, he said, the reality is that Malaysia requires a government dominated by Malays.
“The reality is that Malaysia needs good Malay leaders. Meaning that they must have integrity and good leadership, which is the strength of the country.
“Apart from that, we also need to uplift the other races, such as Chinese, Indians, Kadazan, Dusun, Dayaks and others.
“This combination of races is critical. The other races understand this because there must be good Malay leadership that has integrity and good morals.”
On Amanah, Salahuddin, who is deputy president, said the party must not only gain the support of Malays, but other races as well.
“Amanah must be liked by the other races. We must also focus on strengthening Malay issues, and at the same time, retain the support of non-Malays.” – The Vibes, March 10, 2021
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