UMNO is the beggar, not Malays, DAP MP tells Dr M

KUALA LUMPUR — Dr Mahathir Mohamad’s assertion that the Malays are now “beggars” due to political factionalism is a canard to mask UMNO’s inability to formulate effective economic policy, a DAP MP has retorted.

Pointing out that Malay control over all public spheres is now at its peak, contrary to the former prime minister’s claim, Mr Zairil Khir Johari also expressed disbelief and dismay over what he categorised as Dr Mahathir’s “exercise in deception”.

“Politically, every significant government post, from the prime minister of the Federation to 12 out of the 13 state chief ministers, is held by Malays.

“Malay dominance is also very visible in other institutions of state, such as the judiciary, the police force, the civil service and the army,” the Bukit Bendera MP explained in a statement today (Dec 21).

The Malay community’s participation in the economy has also risen, courtesy of the now-defunct New Economic Policy (NEP), while the domination of government-linked corporations headed by members of the ethnicity meant Malays essentially control the country’s economy, he added.

Mr Zairil also provided rebuttal to Dr Mahathir’s contention that the Malay community was now forced to beg, highlighting that only UMNO appeared to be doing so following Barisan Nasional’s (BN) worsening electoral performance.

UMNO was now “grovelling and bending over” to right-wing nationalist lobby groups such as Perkasa and Isma, the DAP lawmaker said when highlighting Putrajaya’s decision to retain the Sedition Act as demanded by such groups despite repeated promises of its repeal.

Putrajaya was also facing economic pressure from falling commodity prices, among others, and the fallout of the unpopular goods and services tax (GST) that it will introduce next year, he added.

“... [It] is no surprise that UMNO and Dr Mahathir is resorting in desperation to race-baiting and fear-mongering in order to drum up waning support,” Mr Zairil said.

Yesterday, Dr Mahathir claimed that Malay political parties vying for support among the country’s dominant race have stripped the community of power and turned themselves into “beggars” to the Chinese.

Dr Mahathir said that while it was the Malays who introduced the concept of power sharing among various races, the community is now allegedly the weakest.

“UMNO, PAS and Keadilan (PKR) are all begging the DAP Chinese to get support for general elections, to win.

“And when we are the pengemis (beggars), we are not the powerful ones anymore,” he said

Malay unity is a recurring theme in Umno’s overtures to PAS, in which the former moots co-operation between the two rivals ostensibly for the interests of the Malay-Muslim community. THE MALAY MAIL ONLINE