The government is willing to help Malays in other countries where they are a minority, said Deputy Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak.

The offer to help is towards the advancement of Malays in these countries, he added at a convention in Malacca last night.

najib tun razak photos 211008 02 Najib, due to be elected as the Umno president next March, said Malaysia could be a gateway for this through the Malay World Muslim World (DMDI) forum.

The forum is a platform for the Malay/Muslim nations to unite and cooperate.

Najib said Malays in countries such as the Philippines, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Madagascar, Cambodia, South Africa and southern Thailand were those who could be assisted.

"Of course the Malays in these countries must be realistic. They cannot expect us to support them in taking up arms for a revolution to establish Malay governments in them," he however said.

He said this when opening the forum's 9th convention.

Also present were Malacca Chief Minister Mohd Ali Rustam and Youth and Sports Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob.

Portray Islam as ideal religion

Najib added that the DMDI could play constructive role in bringing about peace in southern Philippines and southern Thailand.

Najib was reported in Bernama as saying that Malaysia had played an active role in southern Philippines towards ending the Moro conflict though the peace process there had encountered some obstacles lately.

He added that the DMDI should do all it could to portray Islam as an ideal religion which strived for the advancement of all peoples.

At the function, Mohd Ali, who is also DMDI president, presented Najib DMDI's Mansyur Shah award which was a special recognition in honour of the Malacca empire during the reign of Sultan Mansyur Shah.

Over 500 participants from, among others Malaysia, South Africa, the Philippines and Indonesia participated at the DMDI convention, which ends today.