DAP has hit back at former PM Dr Mahathir’s claim that Malays have lost power and now have to beg for Chinese support, saying it is only a reflection of Umno.

 

“I read with disbelief media reports quoting Dr Mahathir as saying that the Malay community has virtually lost its dominance and been reduced to ‘beggars’ to the Chinese.

“I am greatly saddened by the fact that a leader of Dr Mahathir’s stature has sunk to such lowly depths by describing a scenario that is not only impossible but also nothing more than an exercise in deception,” said DAP Bukit Bendera MP Zairil Khir Johari in a statement today.

“Clearly, the only group that is faced with the prospect of losing power is Umno, especially after their poor performance in last year’s 13 th general election.

 

“With only 47 percent of the popular vote won, the Umno-led coalition is effectively a government without a popular mandate,” he said.

 

Zairil, who is also DAP assistant national publicity secretary said ever since Umno’s worst ever electoral showing in recent history, the Malay-based ruling party has been “grovelling and bending over to right-wing nationalist lobby groups such as Perkasa and Isma”.

This, he said, was evident with Prime Minister Najib Razak’s U-turn at last month’s Umno general assembly on his “public promise” in 2012 to repeal the Sedition Act.

He called Mahathir’s ruse a “fallacy”, pointing out that Malays dominance has never been greater.

“Contrary to Dr Mahathir’s proposition, Malay dominance in every sphere of Malaysian society is actually at its peak,” said Zairil.

"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," he added.

"Malays also make up the majority of the Malaysian population, besides recording a fertility rate that is one and a half times more than the Chinese. This means that the Chinese and other races are effectively shrinking in relation to the Malay population," he noted.

Zairil pointed out the Malays' special position is constitutionally enshrined and that any amendment to the constitution would effectively need full Malay support and also the consent of Malay rulers.

"This fail-safe effectively means that there is no conceivable threat to the Malays in this country," he stressed.

'Making beggars out of BN partners'

Mahathir yesterday lamented that Malays have lost political power as Malay parties now have to beg non-Malay voters for support.

In a separate statement, DAP’s Seputeh MP Teresa Kok (below) said that within BN, it is Umno that has turned its partners into beggars.

Denouncing Mahathir for creating a false bogeyman, she said the ex-PM should recall what long-serving Gerakan president Lim Keng Yaik had said about Gerakan being made to beg in the coalition.

Lim, who had served in Mahathir’s cabinet in a 2008 interview said parties like MIC, MCA and Gerakan suffered major electoral setbacks because of Umno’s racial politics.

He said the racism had angered the non-Malay electorate that the three parties were tasked to win over.

“The hate and fear speeches made at the recent Umno general assembly shows that Umno has not changed.

“And as Umno continues its arrogance, MCA, Gerakan and MIC continue to be the beggars in BN,” Kok, who is also DAP vice chairperson said.