The Malaysian Insight

UMNO is back to using its old tactics, depicting DAP as the bogeyman in the “New Malaysia” administered by Pakatan Harapan.

Annuar Musa, the Malay party’s secretary-general, said the PH government was directly manipulated by DAP and infringed on Malay rights, something the Chinese-based party did not care for.

“DAP is out to destroy what we have built for so long in this country. This rally is not racist, as they have claimed,” he told a crowd of some 5,000 people at the Himpunan Bangkit Melayu rally in Pasir Salak, Perak, tonight.

“Have you ever heard of DAP defending the rights of Malays and Islam?

“There is no country that can accept Chinese and Indians (and grant them) full rights.”

He said non-Malays were dominating the economy, at the expense of Malays.

“The richest in the country are not Malays. They are Chinese and Indians – except for Mahathir’s son,” he said, referring to Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad’s businessman son, Mirzan.

Annuar said Islam’s status was being challenged by the new government, which wanted to accord equal status to members of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community.

“LGBT has become a big issue for some ministers. This is an indirect attempt to challenge the position of Islam.”

The Ketereh MP said Malays had lost control of government agencies and the media, which, in turn, curbed their influence.

He added that the community had been divided for too long, and now was the time to unite, regardless of the party they backed.

“We have lost power. We have not been able to stay united. Amanah, Bersatu, PKR and PAS have their own ways, and Umno, our own way.

“Following the word of Allah, we must be united. Malays are fighting among themselves, Muslims are fighting among themselves.”

He said Umno must reinvent itself and stay true to its original struggle despite leaders like Dr Mahathir and Anwar Ibrahim having abandoned the party.

“We have been divided because of Dr Mahathir and Anwar. They got their strength from Umno.

“Umno does not need Anwar. Umno didn’t die even when Dr Mahathir left. Umno didn’t die when Anwar left 20 years ago. Leaders come and go.”

He accused the prime minister of playing dirty by freezing Umno’s accounts with the aim of crippling the Barisan Nasional lynchpin.

“There is not even one sen. The accounts have been frozen by Dr Mahathir. He thought if he imposed a freeze on Umno’s accounts, the party would die.

“But, we have not. We have come back stronger than ever. Allah is testing us.”

Among the Umno leaders present were Puteri chief Zahida Zarik Khan, Youth chief Asyraf Wajdi Dusuki, Supreme Council members Lokman Noor Adam and Tajuddin Abdul Rahman, and Sungai Besar chief Jamal Md Yunos. – September 1, 2018.