DAP no longer a threat to Malays, says Zam

Malays today view Umno as being more of a threat to them, compared to DAP, claimed former Umno minister Zainuddin Maidin.

In his latest blog posting, Zainuddin said DAP, which has been labelled chauvinistic, has now matured politically, is progressive, clean and efficient, and free from "narrow" religious sentiments.

"More Malays are seeing and understanding that the threat to Malay nationalism no longer comes from DAP, which wants to "Malaysianise' the country, but from Umno, which wants to "Chinanise" (menChinakan) Malaysia through economic colonialism.

"Besides, non-Malays also notice the change in Umno's secularism and liberalism, since the party started working together with PAS to rule the country.

"The two parties working together in the amendments to the Syariah Courts (Criminal Jurisdiction) Act 1965 (Act 355) has also caused non-Malays to view negatively, Umno's earlier goals as stipulated by leaders such as Tunku Abdul Rahman and Tun Abdul Razak," the veteran journalist and former editor in chief of Utusan Malaysia wrote.

Zainuddin, who is also former information and communications minister, then lambasted Umno for willing to cooperate with PAS, a party "known to play the religious card to fulfil its extremist version of the religion".

The Malays, added Zainuddin, who is better known as Zam, do not reject Chinese investment in the country due to misguided nationalism, but because they have lost faith in Umno's nationalism, which has strayed far from its original version and the constitution.

"The Malays are worried about the Chinese from China coming here as they fear they will assimilate easily with local Chinese, who still have strong leanings towards their motherland.

"They are also worried that the cooperation between Proton Holding Berhad and Chinese carmaker Zhejiang Geely Holding Group will offer to mainland Chinese, more jobs that have so far, been exclusive to the Malays," wrote Zainudin, adding the same could apply to the RM55 billion East Coast railway project which is awarded to a China-based company, which may see an influx of Chinese workers.

Meanwhile, DAP parliamentary leader Lim Kit Siang, who has just returned from Pahang, Terengganu, and Kelantan, said Umno has failed in its propaganda to portray as an anti-Malay and anti-Islam party.

“I find that the Umno campaign of “demonising” DAP leaders and myself as anti-Malay and anti-Muslim, do not have any credibility or traction among the ordinary Malays and Muslims, which goes to show that ordinary Malays, just like others, are born moderates and do not easily succumb to the lies, fake news and false information concocted and disseminated by Umno.

“My warong visits have vindicated and fortified my belief that ordinary Malaysians, whether Malays, Chinese, Indians, Kadazans or Ibans, whether Muslims, Buddhists, Christians, Hindus or Sikhs are all supporters of moderation and do not want or support extremism or fanaticism in whatever form, unless they are incited and misled to do so,” he said in a statement.

Lim, who is also Gelang Patah MP, said Malaysians regardless of race or religion, want Malaysia to be a united, peaceful, tolerant and successful nation. -Mkini