Perkasa won’t accept Dr M’s rejection of Ketuanan Melayu

Sirajuddin Salleh of Perkasa says former PM Mahathir Mohamad might not have properly explained what the term meant when he spoke at a forum last night.

PETALING JAYA: Perkasa has refused to accept Dr Mahathir Mohamad’s statement last night that he never believed in “Ketuanan Melayu” (Malay supremacy) at face value.

The Malay rights NGO has also questioned the context in which the former prime minister made the remark.

Perkasa’s deputy president Sirajuddin Salleh said he was not aware of the context in which the PPBM chairman addressed the 1,000 strong crowd during a forum at the Kuala Lumpur and Selangor Chinese Assembly Hall (KLSCAH).

“I do not wish to dwell on Tun Mahathir’s usage of ‘Ketuanan Melayu’,” he said today when asked to comment on it.

He said Mahathir, 92, a former patron of Perkasa, might not have properly explained what the term meant in his speech.

Yesterday, Mahathir told the forum he had never really believed in the concept, and had shared this view with Perkasa president Ibrahim Ali.

“I don’t believe in Ketuanan Melayu. I used to tell Ibrahim Ali that if you are the driver, it is the guy behind you who is the ‘tuan’ (master),” Mahathir had said.

He also said he often credited the country’s success to the willingness of its multi-racial communities to “share” and work with one another.

“If anyone tries to take 100% for themselves, this country will never grow. The success of our country comes from our willingness to share,” Mahathir had said.

On Mahathir’s claim that the different races were “sharing” and working with one another, Sirajuddin said this observation was nothing new.

“The platform was set for the different races to work with one another,” he said.

He said all races should have a share in the country’s economic activities to ensure all could reap the rewards, with the Malays receiving their due benefits.

Mahathir was well-known as a champion of Malay rights during his tenure as Malaysia’s fourth prime minister, from 1981 to 2003 and Malaysia’s first prime minister Tunku Abdul Rahman, even labelled him an “ultra Malay” at one time. -FMT