The Malay pressure group Ikatan Muslimin Malaysia (ISMA) stresses that non-Malays that it calls "pendatang" (migrants) should pay taxes as usual, despite insisting their involvement in politics should not extend to interfering in Malay-Muslim affairs.

Isma president Abdullah Zaik Abdul Rahman ( right ) said this when asked by the media if non-Muslims taxes should be lowered, since their political involvement was asked to be limited.

"According to the principles of fairness, all those pendatang races have to accept the special position of the Malays and bumiputera in the country as the sovereign race.

"The involvement of non-Muslims in politics - to the point of interfering in the affairs of the Malay race and Islam, and that denies the sole right of the Malays in determining our future - is outrageous and should be corrected," he told reporters today.

"On the issue of taxes, it is the remuneration they pay as citizens, so they have to pay.

"They earn their income from the country, therefore they have to pay taxes," he said at a press conference this morning.

'Intruders historical fact'

Zaik went on to repeat that the Chinese are not only "pendatang" but "intruders" arguing it is "historic fact".

"The fact that the entry of the Chinese pendatang to Malaya along with the British colonialists represents a form of intrusion, is a historical fact.

"This is to remind the Chinese to stop being too much in interfering in the affairs that determine the future of Islam in the country," he said.

He claimed that this was the "political view of the majority of the Malays and Muslims in the country" and defended that this was within the "freedom of speech and political views" in the country.

"I think the police reports (against us) are trying to silence us from expressing our views," he said, lamenting how his critics are using the Sedition Act against him even though they are against the Act.

To back his claims to historic authenticity the Isma chief cited a 1937 Harvard professor's work 'Malaya, a study in direct and indirect rule'.

The proof according to Zaik was where it said the British allowed the Chinese to amass a fortune from mining in Malaya.

Related stories

Dr M says Najib lacks teeth to bite

'Pendatang can't intrude, but must pay taxes'

Isma agrees to hudud for non-Muslims

Ambiga: A 'Nazi-like' agenda at work

'Sack UiTM vice-chancellor for anti-Christian seminar'

'Isma stoking race to drown out GST protests'

Not intruders, but Anak Malaysia, says DAP rep

Dr M claims Boeing aircraft 'dangerous' to fly

Under Najib, the country is on MH370 mode

UiTM breeds zealots with anti-Christian seminar

Mahathir’s salvoes aim to keep Malays insecure

Mahathir, ask your billionaire sons to share wealth, too