Pakatan wants Najib’s reply to Dr M’s Tanah Melayu remarks


By Shazwan Mustafa Kamal
The Malaysian Insider

KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 4 — Pakatan Rakyat (PR) lawmakers have demanded that Datuk Seri Najib Razak respond to Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad’s latest remarks that Malaysia belongs to the Malays and other races are expected to respect Malay sovereignity.

They want the prime minister to state his stand and views on the matter, and whether he subscribes to Dr Mahathir’s views or feels otherwise.

Opposition leaders said Dr Mahathir’s statement was a direct contradiction to Najib’s 1 Malaysia concept of equality.

“Najib cannot maintain an elegant silence over this, he has to respond to Dr Mahathir’s remarks. It’s important to see what stand Najib will take, and whether or not he is afraid of the repercussions should he not agree with Dr Mahathir,” Datuk Mahfuz Omar told The Malaysian Insider.

The PAS vice-president pointed out that those within Barisan Nasional (BN) who disagreed with the former prime minister ended up having very shortlived political careers, saying that Dr Mahathir did not take criticisms lightly.

Citing Dr Mahathir’s attacks against Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, Mahfuz claimed that the veteran politician had consistently shown that he opposed Najib’s policies such as his 1 Malaysia concept.

“We can definitely see that Dr Mahathir is unhappy with Najib. Najib, on the other hand, has failed in making people understand his 1 Malaysia concept. If Dr Mahathir cannot accept or understand it, how then do normal folk?” said Mahfuz.

He stressed that PR did not recognise or support any views which did not recognise the rights of all races and did not contribute towards the nation-building process.

DAP national publicity secretary Tony Pua called Dr Mahathir’s views “supremacist”, saying there were no provisions in the Federal Constitution which supported Dr Mahahir’s views.

“Najib and Mahathir should perhaps enlighten Malaysians where Mahathir’s supremacist concept is found in the Federal Constitution as designed by our forefathers.

“Najib will also have to explain how his 1 Malaysia fits into Mahathir’s scheme of things,” Pua told The Malaysian Insider.

According to another DAP leader, Lim Kit Siang, Dr Mahathir was “contradicting” himself as his remarks went against not only the 1 Malaysia concept, but also the “Bangsa Malaysia” concept bandied around during the Mahathir administration.

“What he said was full of contradictions… it contradicts his (Dr Mahathir’s) own Bangsa Malaysia concept and 1 Malaysia.

“The aim for Vision 2020 was to create a Malaysia full of people committed to the nation, all races working together on the same platform,” the DAP parliamentary leader told The Malaysian Insider.

In a speech on Tuesday, Dr Mahathir told Malaysians to admit that the country belonged to the Malays and that they had to accept the culture and language of the dominant community.

The former prime minister said that the country’s forefathers gave the Chinese and Indians citizenship because they expected the communities to respect Malay sovereignty.

“This country belongs to the Malay race. Peninsular Malaysia was known as Tanah Melayu but this cannot be said because it will be considered racist.

“We must be sincere and accept that the country is Tanah Melayu,” he said.

He also said the administration must be clear on what is 1 Malaysia.

In a poll conducted by the Merdeka Center last year, only 39 per cent of non-Bumiputeras accepted the 1 Malaysia concept despite the fact that it had been introduced for over a year.

Forty-six per cent out of 3,141 respondents interviewed felt that 1 Malaysia was only a “tactic to win over non-Malay support” while another 16 per cent had either refused to answer the poll questions or claimed to have no understanding of the concept whatsoever.

Respondents were undecided on whether Malaysia had become more united under the Najib administration, with 48 per cent saying “yes” and 43 per cent claiming that the country was still disunited.

Veteran Umno politician and one-time Finance Minister Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah also agreed and said that the 1 Malaysia slogan was “hollow” and had lacked direction and vision and even compared it to Dr Mahathir’s Vision 2020.

  1. #1 by k1980 on Friday, 4 February 2011 - 2:42 pm

    The mamak has being misquoted. He actually meant to say “Tanah Kerala”, exclusively for Keralans like himself.

    //the country’s forefathers gave the Chinese and Indians citizenship because they expected the communities to respect Malay sovereignty.//

    Give the name(s) of any pendatang who challenges the right of malays to be PM and king.

  2. #2 by Godfather on Friday, 4 February 2011 - 2:54 pm

    Charge Mamakthir with sedition.

    The minority parties like MCA, MIC and Gerakan are now showing their true colours – the obedient lapdogs of UMNO.

  3. #3 by wanderer on Friday, 4 February 2011 - 3:10 pm

    MAMAK Kerala of India, himself is a contradiction!….born a kulit hitam, unashamedly, renounced his roots and through legislation, made himself a “chocolate bar” a faked Melayu. So, what
    can we expect from an opportunist racist, unprincipled
    and without dignity.

  4. #4 by yhsiew on Friday, 4 February 2011 - 3:11 pm

    ///Malaysia belongs to the Malays and other races are expected to respect Malay sovereignty.///

    I think Makhadir is getting senile as he grows old.

    If Malaysia belongs to the Malays then the government may as well not issue citizenship to the Chinese and Indians.

  5. #5 by Bunch of Suckers on Friday, 4 February 2011 - 3:59 pm

    That old sucker often “thir…thir…thir…” Yeah, Ang Pu Na Na… You often Thir! Thir!

    Thir…Thir…Thir… He himself is actually a thir thir thir and Any Pu Na Na!

  6. #6 by Dipoh Bous on Friday, 4 February 2011 - 4:11 pm

    …Dr Mahathir told Malaysians to admit that the country belonged to the Malays and that they had to accept the culture and language of the dominant community. (SMK -above )

    …the dominant community ? I wish someone could command Pehin Sri CM of Sarawak to abide by that same principle. That would make the Ibans the dominant community in S’wak not the Melanaus ( muslims or otherwise) !

    …common Sarawakians, it’s time to continue what Stephen Kalong Ningkan achieved before. Vote BN out in the coming state election. Let SNAP rule Sarawak ….

    …uuu!!! haaaaa!!! uuuuu!!! haaaaaa!!!!

    …tala!!! tala!!! taaauuuiiii !!!

  7. #7 by Loh on Friday, 4 February 2011 - 4:11 pm

    ///MCA secretary-general Kong Cho Ha said that as a former president, Tee Keat’s views and criticism are welcomed but he must stop attacking the leadership and respect the officer-bearers elected by the party members last year.

    “He must respect the choice of the delegates,” Kong told reporters at the MCA Chinese New Year open house at Wisma MCA in Kuala Lumpur today.///

    Losing party election and yet retaining the post of a minister, he certainly found it easy to carry balls of the Video hero who performed illegal sex on record. Wonder why Malaysian laws are not equal for all Malaysians.

    If Kong Cho Ha respected the wishes of the voters in MCA GA, then he should repect their intention that Kong does not represent them in the Cabinet. Would Kong resign first before talking about respect for majority views. Incidentally Chua, the actor did not even get a majority vote cast for the presidency. He should resign and call for election once again.

  8. #8 by DAP man on Friday, 4 February 2011 - 4:19 pm

    Najib never means what he says? He is a conman and a liar.
    Isn’t it a national policy that the Malays are the owners of this land and we are pendatangs?
    We have been treated thus for donkey years. Ketuanan Melayu is an unwritten policy. That’s a fact.
    What Najib says is irrelevant.
    He might just say that we are equals but are we?
    The Malays are more equal than the pendatangs.

  9. #9 by ENDANGERED HORNBILL on Friday, 4 February 2011 - 4:22 pm

    Mahathir is just an ol’ ‘has-been”. We should all just ignore him.

    Psychologically, he is just craving for the attention he once shared on the world stage. And so he goes mewling and puking as if the whole world is still beholden to him & that he is the centre of political gravity.

    OK, Mahathir, all that you were worth is in the currency of the 1980’s and 19990’s. This 21st century just ain’t your anymore.

    Move on and shove off, to put it bluntly!

  10. #10 by Bunch of Suckers on Friday, 4 February 2011 - 4:51 pm

    That old sucker introduced the Bumiputra, Ketuaan and Tanah Melayu… What else, old sucker? Nazi rules???

    No wonder, our FDI is damn low!!! Keep thir.. thir… thir…

  11. #11 by tak tahan on Friday, 4 February 2011 - 5:26 pm

    Mamak should also suggest Perkasa Ibrahim to take over the PM post and parade through out malaysia for the ketuanan melayu sake.Mamak,don’t you have any conscience for your Indian brotherhood?You are so conveniently to put an art of senile that you have forgotten your root.You and family will be cursed by your own lost paternal and grandparent.

  12. #12 by tak tahan on Friday, 4 February 2011 - 5:37 pm

    Mamak will be remembered as a father racist down the history and nothing else. A man without a tinge of dignity,integrity and respectability.A very despicable ugly beast with no shame and righteous conscience.

  13. #13 by sotong on Friday, 4 February 2011 - 5:59 pm

    This guy will say anything to be a ” hero ” of the Malays.

    Liberate the ordinary Malays and you liberate our country…..our country had enough of jokers/new Malays claiming to defend the rights of ordinary Malays.

  14. #14 by limkamput on Friday, 4 February 2011 - 7:50 pm

    As far as I know tanah melayu if ever existed was taken over by the Portuguese, then the Dutch and the British. And when the British granted Malaya its independence, it was to a new country. Anyway, what is the point of arguing for a senile old fart craving for attention? Who is he? I think the best response to this old fart is no response at all. We just completely ignore whatever he has said. This will quicken his demise due to increased frustration and mental deprivation for not being listened to anymore.

  15. #15 by limkamput on Friday, 4 February 2011 - 7:55 pm

    should be… what is the point of arguing with a senile old fart

  16. #16 by Loh on Friday, 4 February 2011 - 8:21 pm

    Tanah Melayu refers only to Peninsular Malaysia. Sabah and Sarawak was not included in Tanah Melayu, and how come Sarawakians and Sabah lose their land to Malays just because they join Malaysa to form Malaysia. That statement is seditious. It causes citizens of Sabah and Sarawak to get angry with the government.

    Tanah Melayu was a British colony. Does Mamakthir suggest that Malaya should revert back to be a colony of the British, and claim that it belongs to Melayu but under British as a colony. He is a traitor for making that suggestion.

    Malaysia is a nation of rule of law, ( Najib prefers it to be rule by law). When Tanah melayu is not written in Malaysian constitution which is the supreme law, mamakthir is making claims that are unconstitutional. Besides it negates the provision in the constitution that all citizens are equal before the law. Mamakthir is starting unparliamentary struggle to encourage Malays makings claim that are unconstitutional. ISA is intended for people like Mamakthir, and yet he got away scot-free while other law abiding people engaging in legitimate political activities are ISA-ed through rule of law.

    Should we ignore Mamakthir’s seditious statement? That suggests selective persecution in the country where the persons who could cause great harm to the country in general, and the Prime Minister in particular (such as the way AAB was dethroned through opportunists in UMNO) can do what he pleases. Najib would not ISA Mamakthir, and we must tell those Mamakthir tried to fool that Mamakthir is wrong.

    Najib is keeping his elegant silence. maybe it is time that his wife should make a stand!

  17. #17 by drngsc on Friday, 4 February 2011 - 9:01 pm

    That old mamak is evil. Always trying to stir and cause trouble. How I wish he will just die, and let the country move on.
    I doubt that Najib would dare shut him up.There can be no 1Malaysia with instigators like this causing trouble.
    Mamak, please go to hell. Leave us alone. We wish to have a united country.

  18. #18 by Not spoon fed on Friday, 4 February 2011 - 9:39 pm

    Sabah, Sarawak and Peninsular Malaysia belongs to Orang Asli. Malay are also immigrants. Orang Asli in Sabah, Sarawak and Peninsular Malaysia: now you see Mahathir (the UMNO’s Tun) has openly exposed their original agenda? What are you waiting for Sabah and Sarawak! You must act now! Orang Asli are real Bumiputra.

  19. #19 by boh-liao on Friday, 4 February 2011 - 9:52 pm

    MMK has been n is always a selfish racist n an opportunist as well
    It’s so obvious fr his actions n yet ppl seem surprised at his outbursts
    What can 1 expect fr some1 who disowned his own root n father’s race? WAN PERN

  20. #20 by AhPek on Friday, 4 February 2011 - 10:41 pm

    When the Portugese came there was no tanah Melayu.
    When the Dutch came there also was no Tanah Melayu.
    And even when the British came there still was no Tanah Melayu.Only after the British has established their presence, Tanah melayu came into being!

    If you were to refer to the old Arab mariner’s map which predates the coming of Europeans in South East Asia as well as Asia,there also was no Tanah Melayu,only Barr Chin or Tanah China (Land of China)
    My memory is also failing me,I somehow don’t seem to remember mamak being a professor of History.Do you?

  21. #21 by monsterball on Friday, 4 February 2011 - 10:57 pm

    I am a sick and tired to talk of the most corrupt dictator of our country..who split all races for 22 years.
    He love to divide and rule.
    He claims to be a Malay..which all Malaysians know…..that is only half truth.
    When a man ignored he is a half cast and claim to be a Malay only…what do you expect from such a man?
    It is the Malays that support UMNO B are being fooled with words and slogans….and why not….no need to work and get good salaries..for decades….making most half past sixes and that makes Mahathir very happy…although he keep pretending how unhappy he is.
    He is unhappy only when this two cronies do not do what they promised to him…when chosen to be PMs.
    Mahathir is a wolf in sheep clothings.

  22. #22 by monsterball on Friday, 4 February 2011 - 11:08 pm

    AhPek have said it all…and so do so many commentators said that all these years…yet Mahathir keep trying to fool the Malays.
    Malaysia have been captured …ruled and released by the Portugese..Dutch…and British….and briefly by the Japanese..for centuries.
    It is like a Malay bought the car and sold it to 4 others owners..of different nationalities..and yet that said car is still call an original .. Malay car?
    And who fought those invaders….only the Malays?
    I am giving a simple comparison for a 18 year old to read and understand…that Malaysia is what it is due to all Malaysians..and not belonging to one race…which always confuses me…where the heck…the Malay race came from?

  23. #23 by tak tahan on Friday, 4 February 2011 - 11:59 pm

    Where the hat as he thinks is still his magical aid,so he tries and tries to spike us with his venom like conjuring up rabbit,bird,dog,pig,cow’s fiction show or story to confuse us and make us enthralled him like worshiping god.

  24. #24 by tak tahan on Saturday, 5 February 2011 - 12:44 am

    He looks dodut;means retarded in Portuguese language as i picked up from my Eurasian god family.He is so lost in his appearance and looks,judging from this picture itself.

    http://malaysiansmustknowthetruth.blogspot.com/2011/02/racism-whither-malaysia.html

  25. #25 by Jeffrey on Saturday, 5 February 2011 - 7:34 am

    PR lawmakers egg and goad Najib not to “maintain an elegant silence” but to respond to TDM’s latest racist & divisive remarks. Najib will likely squirm at this gauntlet to take on this man who relishes a fight and has a record of taking on:-
    • Royalty and constitutionally clipping their law making powers;
    • Entire judiciary and unprecedentedly removed a Lord President;
    • 3 deputies Musa Hitam, Ku Li and Anwar;
    • Australian PMs Paul Keating & ‘Deputy Sheriff’ of USA, John Howard; S’pore’s LKY;
    • The Jews, George Soros & currency traders;
    • His own anointed successors Pak Lah and now Najib…

    TDM has said all kinds of things. If you muzzle him he would say if ordinary citizens have freedom of speech why can’t he a former premier. All are however welcome to criticize him. Australian journalist Barry Wain wrote in his book “Malaysian Maverick” that Mahathir burned up to RM100 billion on grandiose projects and corruption in his 22 years as PM. TDM has no problem with that book. He might even secretly welcome its publication – it was Malaysian authorities (Customs) that worried and delayed- and at the end TDM desisted in even suing Wain.

    He has said a lot of controversial things – eg shooting the Vietnamese boat people, Singaporean malays’terbongkok-bongkok’ (kowtow) to others etc. I mean we’re talking here about a supposedly elder politician of international fame or infamy (depending on one’s point of view) who seriously asserted that Sept 11, 2001 attack on the New York World Trade Center was staged because Arabs were “not clever enough” to stage such a coordinated attack involving four planes. Barry Wain could have made money from writing another book on just his controversial rantings alone. He openly criticized and withdrew his support of his own anointed successor never caring that it reflected on his own judgment. He even said with a touch of glee than apology that accurate judgment of people wasn’t his strong point! (Mainstream media never played up his racially divisive statements. It is the alternative media like MalaysianInsider that first broke the story that gave his views the notoriety that he wishes).

    Whilst PR’s lawmakers may score political points by putting Najib & his “1 Malaysia” on the spot, you are actually advancing TDM’s agenda! TDM himself once said in an interview – “I don’t care what people think about me.” (in respect of his views) Only that they pay attention.”

    PR lawmakers are giving him exactly that – quite contrary to what Tunku Aziz’s advice –“Based on what we know about the man, Mahathir is happiest when he is also at his mischievous best. If there is no crisis, Mahathir will see to it that one is invented Do Mahathir a favour: ignore him”.

  26. #26 by Jeffrey on Saturday, 5 February 2011 - 7:35 am

    TDM once assured everyone (who’s gullible enough to believe him in the first place) that he would step down and not meddle in the affairs of the Government.

    Some people cannot retire – too much energy.

    Tun Musa Hitam said, “I have the impression that he (Mahathir) is suffering from severe post-prime ministerial syndrome”. PR lawmakers want to give him the palliative to this syndrome?

    Our PAS spiritual leader Nik Aziz had a better suggestion. He once even supported his re-entry back to UMNO saying PR would benefit should TDM rejoin Umno as there would be “chaos within Umno.” “It will be exciting to see him creating chaos,” he told reporters.

  27. #27 by ringthetill on Saturday, 5 February 2011 - 10:47 am

    This is another case of an old man clamouring for the limelight, saying, ‘Hey, I’m still alive and kicking’.
    How pathetic. My wife used to say, ‘If one has nothin’ good to say, one should just shut up!’, period.

  28. #28 by Thor on Saturday, 5 February 2011 - 11:38 am

    An indian is still an indian and a chinese is still a chinese in any way even if we change our style and ways of living.
    The genes are still in you and your roots of origin are even more undeniable.
    Only the orang asli are the real malay because the word “malay” was taken out of context from the word “malaya”, a name given to this country during colonial times.
    God gave us this world and every living things in this planet have the rights to be where they are and it’s we (stupid human), who’re creating all this sort of fuss.

  29. #29 by k1980 on Saturday, 5 February 2011 - 11:48 am

    Who should be given the title “Bapa Apartheid Malaysia”?

    Life imprisonment plus a black eye which rotting away in jail

  30. #30 by tak tahan on Saturday, 5 February 2011 - 12:32 pm

    k1980,you forgot to include sodomite penalty.

  31. #31 by monsterball on Saturday, 5 February 2011 - 12:55 pm

    The Govt. is so confused over what is right or wrong…that a massive demonstrations from all walks of life…by Malaysians united to support the brave Egyptians against Mubarak’s dictatorial government…got UMNO B police rushed out to use water cannon and tear gases and arrests for something not against UMNO B at all.
    It is another clear sign…that the guilty conscience of our Govt…is being displayed.
    Imagine the 22 years of Mahathir defending Muslims of the world…and here Malaysians are supporting the helpless and poor 300 Egyptians died in the streets at Cairo…yelling for freedom…yet our so call great defenders of Muslims in Malaysia are stopping a peaceful demonstration…for freedom?
    It must always be listen and trust our Govt. and shut up… in Malaysia.
    Is this not a clear sign….our Govt. is a dictatorial one?…and all dictators are corrupt to the core.
    I hope true Muslims supporting Najib can feel for other Muslims…to understand FREEDOM is priceless.

  32. #32 by yhsiew on Saturday, 5 February 2011 - 2:42 pm

    The ex-premier should stop making such racist remarks in a multiracial country to destroy his credibility and respectability.

  33. #33 by PoliticoKat on Saturday, 5 February 2011 - 3:41 pm

    I have a rather interesting observation. When I was at university in the UK, the Malaysian society would hold social event to showcase dances and musical instruments from difference peoples of Malaysia. We even had close links with tourism Malaysia to choreography our performance.

    And while we learned to dance, indian dances, chinese dances, malay dances. Wore costumes from different races. While we learned to play the play the gamelan and the tabla. I noticed something rather odd, there we no Malays in our group. We had Indians, Chinese but no Malays.

    And no, it wasn’t because there were no Malays in the University. There were a great number of Malay students but they were simply not interested.

    Thus Malay culture was being showcased to a western audience by Chinese and Indian performers.

    As I look at Malaysia and the increasing Arabisation of the Malays, I find myself musing. Won’t it be rather odd, if the Malaysian chinese and Indians end up becoming the guardians of Malay culture and arts.

  34. #34 by raven77 on Saturday, 5 February 2011 - 7:10 pm

    He must have suffered brain damage during all those bypass surgeries….

    Must be sent back to IJN or a asylum…

  35. #35 by monsterball on Saturday, 5 February 2011 - 9:38 pm

    With or without his surgeries…that man who can ignored he is half Indian …is a born ungrateful low class man.
    We seem him dressed like a gentleman with class.
    You can dress a road sweeper to be like a professor too.
    90% of UMNO B ministers are spent talking politics and defending their so call rights.
    They love to do that…as those are low class sons of farmers and fishermen.
    Najib knows next to nothing about Malaysia or Malaysians. He have been living in a cocooned life….behaving like a village prince ….promoted by the mastermind as his puppet.
    Yes..the mastermind is the most sinful..and dirtiest UMNO B politician.
    So much have been said about him….and I sit back and wonder why so many Muslims still support a dictatorial corrupted evil government.
    Are they weird or such racists that blocked all sense of logic and dignity.
    So far…it seems…only in rural areas..the exists.
    Lets wait for the Melaka by-election.
    Right now…13 by elections done..with 7-6 in favour of PR.
    Even PR looses Melaka by…it will be a draw and the final countdown must be at 13th GE.

  36. #36 by sotong on Sunday, 6 February 2011 - 8:56 am

    It’s harder to find a place under the Malaysian sun…appealing to the divisive and dark side for attention……..our country do not need his kind.

  37. #37 by tak tahan on Monday, 7 February 2011 - 1:33 am

    We have been and are still now under the disguised prime Minister of darkness to manipulate the rakyat to the fullest state.This old man has too much guilt feeling in his own self till he is willing to sell off everything including his last dignity and integrity moral.Looks very pathetic to me though i hate to say that to anyone but i just can’t keep my mouth shut.Very shameful and indignity for a role of Grandfather least to say a senior member of parliamentarian elected by whole nation.Ar….

  38. #38 by waterfrontcoolie on Monday, 7 February 2011 - 8:42 am

    He has only ONE OBJECTIVE: to emplace his son as the next PM. hence all these rhetorics to gain support. Though he likes to be known as a Statesman of? racist Policy! Obviously he had decided to put his grey matter on the afterburner having failed to follow his nemisis across the Causeway to get the attention and self=respect he wanted from the world. He has not been able to get the kind of respect internationally ; well now he will concentrate on this aspect of Jaguh Kampong Version of popularity parade.

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