National laureate A Samad Said had advised the Malay community not to be obsessed over claims by certain quarters that Malays were under threat.

 

Samad said despite claims of a growing threat against the community, the country's leadership has remained in the hands of Malays and is still led by a party which claims to represent the Malay community.

 

The well-respected writer, who is fondly known as Pak Samad, said it was peculiar that allegations of Malays being under threat are constantly played up.

 

"I hope the Malay community is not too obsessed about claims that Malays are under threat.

 

"How are Malays under threat? How can religion (Islam) and Malays be threatened when those in power have been Malay for over five decades?

 

"What have they (Malay leaders) been doing for five decades (if Malays can be under threat)?" he said.

 

In an apparent reference to Umno, Samad said if the country’s more than five-decade-old Malay leadership cannot put the Malay community at ease, then it should surrender power.

 

"Let other Malays (rule). They (Umno) have been there for five decades, not one decade," he told Malaysiakini in an interview.

Dark future

Yesterday, Communications and Multimedia Minister Ahmad Shabery Cheek alluded that the Pakatan Rakyat Penang government was subtly discriminating Malays in the state.

He had accused the state government of hiding behind meritocracy policies to discriminate the Malay community.

"They don't say it outright - that this place is only for our race, and the Malays cannot come here.

 

"But they use certain approaches where, eventually, only one race will enjoy (the development) and this is a form of subtle racism," he was quoted as saying in Umno Online .

Umno supreme council member Ibrahim Abu Shah had also urged Malays to unite ahead of the next general election to ensure that the party remains relevant.

According to him, if Umno was defeated at the next general election, the future of Malays would be " dark and unfortunate ".