Pua blames Muhyiddin for 1 Malaysia failure
The DAP national publicity secretary said that Muhyiddin’s previous declaration that he was “Malay first” had spelled the end for 1 Malaysia.
“[T]he Government Transformation Programme approved by the Cabinet and published in December last year defined the goal of 1 Malaysia as ‘a nation where, it is hoped, every Malaysian perceives himself or herself as Malaysian first, and by race, religion, geographical region or socio-economic background second’. It was a definition which was clear and concise.
“However, despite the above, the deputy prime minister had chosen to reject the goal of 1 Malaysia, by insisting that he is ‘Malay first’ and subsequently ridiculing the concept of ‘Malaysian first’ by saying ‘How can I say I’m Malaysian first and Malay second? All the Malays will shun me... and it’s not proper.’
“The impact of Tan Sri Muhyiddin’s contempt for the ‘Malaysian first’ concept as defined by the government sounded the death knell for a unifying ‘1 Malaysia’ and is best epitomised by the complete refusal till today [of] the President of Gerakan, Tan Sri Koh Tsu Koon, who is also the minister in-charge of the Government Transformation Programme, as well as the President of MCA, Datuk Seri (Dr) Chua Soi Lek to declare themselves Malaysian first” he said in a press statement.
The Petaling Jaya Utara MP added that Muhyiddin’s backing of Malay supremacy ensured that the goal of “Malaysian first” would remain unattainable.
“The deputy prime minister’s strident support for ‘Ketuanan Melayu’ (Malay supremacy) as being a pillar for 1 Malaysia and the complicit and complete acquiesce of Barisan Nasional component parties, MCA, MIC and Gerakan to Umno’s demands ensures that there will be no chance of a ‘Malaysian first’ goal of being achieved,” he said.
Yesterday, Muhyiddin agreed with Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad that Malaysians have yet to understand the 1 Malaysia concept after the former prime minister said it had failed to unite Malaysians as a whole.
Dr Mahathir had criticised the Najib administration’s 1 Malaysia slogan, claiming that the concept needed further “explanation” to prevent it from being interpreted differently by various races.
The former premier’s remarks came after a recent public opinion poll by the Merdeka Center found that a majority of non-Bumiputeras in the country considered Najib’s 1 Malaysia slogan a mere political gimmick.
According to the poll, only 39 per cent of non-Bumiputeras accepted the 1 Malaysia concept despite the fact that it had been introduced for over a year.
Forty-six per cent out of 3,141 respondents interviewed felt that 1 Malaysia was only a “tactic to win over non-Malay support”, while another 16 per cent had either refused to answer the poll questions or claimed to have no understanding of the concept whatsoever.
Respondents were undecided on whether Malaysia had become more united under the Najib administration, with 48 per cent saying “yes” and 43 per cent claiming that the country was still disunited.
Today, Pua said that Barisan Nasional (BN) component parties must also be accountable for their failure to protect the interests of all Malaysians, reserving particular attention for the MCA.
“Tan Sri Muhyiddin has no one else to blame but himself for disparaging the initially noble concept of ‘1 Malaysia’ by failing to take into consideration the rights and interest of all Malaysians.
“The non-Umno Barisan Nasional component parties, on the other hand, perpetuate the failure by refusing to take a position in the interest of all Malaysians, by refusing to challenge Umno, even if the latter is acting against the official government policy or the interest of all Malaysians at large.
“For example, despite an initial attempt by MCA to defend the rights of Christians to use the term ‘Allah’ in their prayers, the MCA president, Datuk Seri (Dr) Chua Soi Lek wasted no time backing down from its initial position once MCA received a rebuke and warning from the deputy prime minister.
Pua further attacked the MCA as having “no opinions of position” on the “Allah” issue after its president had, in an apparent softening in stance, yesterday said the party was “merely echoing the wishes of non-governmental organisation Christian Federation of Malaysia”.
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak has been under fire lately as even veteran BN leaders have come out and openly mocked his 1 Malaysia campaign, in effect branding it a “hollow” cause.
Umno stalwart and one time finance minister Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah said recently that the 1 Malaysia slogan was “hollow” and had lacked direction and vision and even compared it to Dr Mahathir’s Vision 2020.
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