Some Truth To Malays Feeling Sidelined Says Umno Veteran

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 A former minister urges the government to regain the community’s confidence, saying Dr Mahathir Mohamad wants to exploit Malays’ feelings for his own political gain.
Raja Nong Chik Raja Zainal Abidin, a former minister, says the government cannot avoid or ignore the proposed ‘Malay unity’ movement.PETALING JAYA: An Umno veteran says the unity government must look to regain the confidence of the Malays, following former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad’s latest effort to unite the Malays and “restore their political power”
Former minister Raja Nong Chik Raja Zainal Abidin said the government cannot avoid or ignore this movement as there was truth to the notion that the Malay community feels sidelined under the unity government.
He added that Mahathir recognised this and was seeking to exploit it for his own political gain.
“Maybe it’s merely a matter of perception or imagination (to some parties), but I think that there’s truth to it (at the grassroots level). And something needs to be done to regain the confidence of the Malays.
“Whatever excuses we want to give, when you go to the grassroots, the reality is that many Malays feel sidelined, and Mahathir is exploiting that,” he told FMT.
Raja Nong Chik claimed that, based on feedback he received, nine out of 10 of his close Malay peers have expressed concern about the fate of the community under the current administration.
“They worry for the future of the Malays, and these are highly-educated guys. We’re not even talking about the grassroots level yet.
“However, this doesn’t mean they will vote for the opposition just yet, it’s just that they want some assurance (that the special privileges of the Malays would be safeguarded,” said the former Lembah Pantai Umno chief.
The new Malay unity alliance was launched by Mahathir on Wednesday, with the backing of Perikatan Nasional’s major components, PAS and Bersatu, as well as several Malay-based NGOs and academics.
Mahathir, a former Umno president who later led Bersatu, Pejuang and Gerakan Tanah Air before leaving all three, said the alliance would not be a formal political party for now but a loose coalition to gather the Malays under one “big umbrella”.
Raja Nong Chik said the government led by Anwar Ibrahim must handle this new political threat wisely to ensure his administration retains the trust of the Malays. - FMT

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