A Gerakan delegate today cautioned Umno leaders against making "pendatang" (immigrants) remarks, reminding them that Malays were immigrants as well.

"Let me make the positions of Malaysians clear, Malays, Chinese and Indians were all pendatang, except the Orang Asli, Sabahans and Sarawakians, who are the original bumiputera," said Johor delegate Tan Lai Soon.

 

"Umno members who often said Chinese were pendatang never thought that they themselves were also pendatang," said Tan (right ) when debating party president Mah Siew Keong's policy speech during the Gerakan annual general meeting in Setia Alam today.

The Parit Sulong division member, however, in praising the Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak's speech, which emphasised the importance of moderate politic and reiterated BN rejects all form of extremism earlier today, asked if Najib was just all rhetoric.
"Najib's speech is very good, but would he hold to his promise?" said Tan.
"This is important. If (Najib) just talked and not do anything about it. That would be just syok (sendiri). It would be a total failure," he said.

"Mentally ill" people caused disunity

Tan, also touched on the past leadership where the country was once peaceful and free of religious and racial problems. 

The problems start in the 70s, where people realised the federal constitution was being "dismantled", he said.
Tan personally opined, there was hidden agenda in the mind of Umno leaders, caused by greed for wealth and power back then.
Tan also accused Malay rights group such as Isma and Perkasa, as well as some highly educated people and professors, for the disunity between the races in the country. 
"Malaysians and I think they are mentally ill, so serious that (it is) hard to cure," he said, and only when they are gone would the country be united and safe.
Tan said he is not concerned if the government probed him under the Sedition Act.
 
"When I speak the truth, why should I be scared of the government?
"We did not say something bad about the government, we just offered our views," he told KiniTV.

Equal rights for all

Other delegates also asked for equal rights for all, with a few of them touching on the vernacular school issue. 

Delegate P Poovarasan from Selangor blamed the social media for spreading extreme views. 

He said, if used properly, social media can plays its role in nation development, but the extreme views on religion and race now spread through the social media may lead to racial clashes, similar to what happened in 1969.
He also criticised those who questioned vernacular education systems, citing that the federal constitution  guarantees mother tongue language.
"As long as we still live, we shall defend Chinese and Tamil education to the last drop of our blood," he said, amid applause.
Meanwhile, Penang delegate Lau May Ling urged the party to call for the abolishment of race-based policies and the quota system, which is against the 1Malaysia concept.
She strongly believed the one key to be truly Malaysian was to ensure the equal rights of all Malaysians.

Blueprint for new Gerakan

"If Gerakan is serious about the road of transformation, then the party must without fear and favour, continuously and diligently called for gradual abolishment of all quota system and race based policies," she said.
"If Gerakan dares to take up the challenge when no one dares, then it could be the leader of tomorrow," she said.
Gerakan youth delegate E Swee Yong called for "toothless" Gerakan to have a "blueprint" for a transformation.

He suggested the party change its role so the people know that the party is different.

He said that the party should instead be monitoring the government on the vernacular school issue, rather than just making appeals.