A senior opposition leader today cautioned Malays in Malaysia against falling for rhetorics that without an Umno-led government in power, they may one day end up like their Singaporean brethren. 

Speaking at the Wanita Amanah second annual convention, Amanah deputy president Salahuddin Ayub pointed out that Malays in Singapore today are able to survive without much assistance from their government.

"The racial rhetorics played up in our country, particularly through government propaganda, they say 'what will happen tomorrow if the government were to change? Malays here will end up like Malays in Singapore.'

"Hello! Wake up. This is no longer the time. The Malays in Singapore today have enough money (on their own)," he said citing funds collected through a foundation for the education of Singaporean Malay youths.

Rather than promising a government scholarship for Malay youths, Salahuddin said Singapore's founding father the late Lee Kwan Yew instead facilitated a system for Malay workers to contribute a part of their salaries to the foundation for their children's future.

"Lee Kwan Yew had provided all the leeway under the laws for Malay workers to make contributions from their salaries for their children.

"This is how Singapore teaches its citizen 'how to fish' rather than 'give a fish' every time we need to cook at home," he said.

Over the years, Salahuddin said Singaporean Malays have also risen through the ranks across various critical sectors and public administration.

"They struggled to gain merit and not become a race that thrives on sympathy or a 'subsidy race' which is the practice here," he said.

At the same time, Salahuddin also praised Singapore Speaker Halimah Yacob who is set to run for the island republic’s Presidential Election and anticipated to create history by becoming the country’s second Malay president after Yusof Ishak.

He noted that Halimah had risen to her current position on merits, and not her on her gender as a woman.

“Singapore appreciates and uplifts the women of Singapore. Firstly, she (Halimah) is truly qualified and is capable.

"A woman who has undergone the processes in the political world. A woman who is great and is able to prove her worth anywhere she is,” he added.

As a whole, Salahuddin said Amanah as a small and growing party should also learn from the Singaporean Malays, dismissed for their size but eventually rising to success above all odds.

The Wanita Amanah second annual convention held at The Mines 2, Seri Kembangan, was also attended by over 200 delegates and leaders from Pakatan Harapan component parties.