‘WHAT IS THERE TO FEAR – THE PRIME MINISTER IS MALAY, THE ‘MENTERI BESAR’ IS MALAY’: ANWAR TELLS RANTAU MALAYS NOT TO BOYCOTT STRERAM BECAUSE HE’S NON-MALAY – ‘BUT IF YOU CHOOSE CORRUPT & CRUEL MALAYS LEADERS, NO RACE WILL SURVIVE INCLUDING THE MALAYS’

MALAYS should not fear being represented by non-Malays in government if the candidates are clean and incorrupt, said de facto Pakatan Harapan (PH) leader Anwar Ibrahim.

Defending PH’s choice of fielding an Indian candidate, Dr S. Streram, in the Rantau state by-election, he said Malays need not worry about their welfare as long as the ruling coalition was in charge.

“Malays will survive if we have good, clean, incorruptible, leaders; not only the Malays will survive, the Chinese, Indians, Kadazan, too, will survive.

‘’But if we choose corrupt and cruel Malay leaders, the Indians, Chinese and Malays will not survive,” he said at a rally for support for PH in Rantau, in Taman Angsamas, yesterday tonight.

Amanah president Mohamad Sabu was present.

Anwar, who is PKR president, said it was fair to treat all communities equally in a multi-racial nation.

‘’It must be remembered that a Chinese candidate needs the support of the Indians  and Malays, thus the Indian candidate in this area needs the support of the Chinese and Malays.

‘’What is there to fear? The prime minister is Malay, the menteri besar is Malay. Why say that Malay survival is at risk?” he said.

Mohamad, in his speech, also criticised those who deliberately played up the issue of Malay survival, in fact, accusing the   Malay PH component parties of being DAP stooges.

Later, at another rally in Taman Sri Ramai, Rantau, Anwar said he would ensure Rantau benefited from the spillover effects of development in his neighbouring parliamentary constituency of Port Dickson.

The Rantau by-election is a four-cornered fight between Pakatan Harapan candidate Dr Streram, Barisan Nasional candidate, former Negiri Sembilan menteri besar Mohamad Hasan, and independent candidates R. Malarvizhi and Mohd Nor Yassin.

– Bernama