'Syed Saddiq's statement on Malay supremacy misinterpreted'

The statement of Youth and Sports Minister Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman that Pakatan Harapan government would end the era of Ketuanan Melayu or Malay supremacy has been misinterpreted, according to Bersatu president Muhyiddin Yassin.

He said Syed Saddiq’s statement was also interpreted as if Bersatu was no longer fighting for the Malays when, in reality, the party existed on the basis of championing the rights of the Malays in line with matters enshrined in the Federal Constitution.

“Although we (Bersatu) fight for the Malays, we must also remember that the non-Malays also need our support so that they too will be able to enjoy the country’s wealth.

”We have to understand the current scenario. We have just won a general election and formed a new government with a new hope, and we have made a promise to be fair to the people, regardless of their race and background,” he said.

Muhyiddin, who is also Pagoh MP, said this during question time at the first Pagoh Bersatu delegates annual assembly in Pagoh today.

Yesterday, Syed Saddiq, who is Bersatu Youth chief, was reported to have said that the Malay supremacy era had ended and Malaysia would shift towards equity and equitable distribution of wealth across all segments, an agenda which would also be bandied about by Bersatu.

The video of the Muar MP’s statement had also gone viral and became a hot topic of discussions.

Muhyiddin stressed that it was one of Bersatu’s agenda to continue uplifting the status of all Malaysians to become a developed and respectable nation.

“That is why all communities in Malaysia, regardless of the race, should just lend a helping hand to the poor and the needy. Let’s not brag about supremacy when there are no effective measures being taken or promises fulfilled.

“We want to find a more suitable approach, a better narrative and acceptable by the people because there are so many things that need to be done. While we are fighting for the Malays, we also want to share the prosperity,” he said.

In his speech earlier, Muhyiddin also advised all party members to mind their manners and words as what they do or say would easily be caught in camera and go viral on social media, which would definitely tarnish the good name of the party.

- Bernama