BN’s Sungai Kandis election candidate says Pakatan Harapan has undermined Malay interests in favour of DAP interests.
Dr Mahathir Mohamad, once labelled a “Malay ultra” for defending Malay interests, “has now become ultra DAP,” according to Lokman Noor Adam of Umno, who is Barisan Nasional’s candidate in the Sungai Kandis by-election.
Lokman said the Pakatan Harapan government had sidelined Malay interests and neglected several provisions in the Federal Constitution in favour of DAP interests.
“What I can see is that he (Mahathir) is no more an ultra Malay, but has now become ultra DAP,” he said.
“The reason is that all aspects of Malay interests have been undermined and replaced with those meant for the DAP,” he said in an interview with FMT.
In the late 1960s, Mahathir was among several Umno leaders regarded as “ultras” for defending Malay interests. Malaysia’s founding prime minister, Tunku Abdul Rahman Putra, expelled Mahathir from the party for defiance, before he was reinstated by Tunku’s successor, Tun Abdul Razak Hussein.
Now chairman of PPBM, he led the Pakatan Harapan coalition with PPBM, DAP, PKR and Amanah as partners, to victory in the May general election.
Lokman took Mahathir to task for appointing several DAP leaders to important positions, referring to Lim Guan Eng as finance minister, Gobind Singh Deo as communications and multimedia minister, and Liew Chin Tong as deputy defence minister.
“Mahathir managed to persuade the DAP not to take too many cabinet positions, in order not to antagonise the Malays, but they have instead obtained important porfolios,” he said.
He said Mahathir had been able to head the Pakatan Harapan government even though his own party, PPBM, had the least number of seats in the Dewan Rakyat.
Lokman said Mahathir’s change of attitude towards Malay interests was apparent by his silence when an ally, former newspaper editor A Kadir Jasin, had raised questions about the privileges accorded to the Yang Di-Pertuan Agong.
“For 61 years, has there been an instance when somebody like Kadir Jasin, who understands the problems of the Malay race, Islam and the status of the Malay Rulers, made such allegations against the King?” he said.
“Previously, those who insulted the Malay Rulers would have had action taken against them. Now, although police reports have been lodged, there has been no action,” he said.
In the Sungai Kandis by-election, to be held on Aug 4, Lokman is in a three-way contest with a PKR candidate and an independent.
He said the PKR candidate, religious teacher Mohd Zawawi Ahmad Mughni, would have difficulty in defending the status of the Malays, and the position of Islam, or looking after the position of the Malay Rulers despite his religious educational background.
“Zawawi is with the present administration, so by right he should correct the system. I am outside the system, so if the government has acted improperly, I will be able to criticise,” he said.
The by-election was brought about by the death of assemblyman Mat Shuhaimi Shafiei, who died of cancer on July 2, two months after being returned in the general election for a third term by a majority of 12,480 votes. – FMT