Dr M: Bersatu remains with Pakatan, no deal with Umno-PAS
KUALA LUMPUR: Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad today rejected a call to strike a political deal with Umno and PAS, days after he attended the Malay Dignity Congress.
Speaking to reporters at the Parliament, Mahathir striking a deal with Umno and PAS would not suit Malaysia’s multiracial demographic.
“Our country is multiracial. All communities have their rights in this country,” he said.
Earlier today, Umno deputy president Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan urged Mahathir to pull out Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (Bersatu) from Pakatan Harapan and team up with Umno and PAS.
The Umno leader claimed that the team-up should not be a problem, claiming Mahathir himself had admitted that the present government was ‘not Malay enough’ to address the community’s plight.
“But Umno and PAS should be given a significant role in restoring this country. We don’t want to be just passengers.
“It’s up to Mahathir to make a decision because at the moment the majority of Malays/Muslims have decided to reject Harapan,” Hasan was reported saying.
Touching on his criticism against the Malays in the congress, Mahathir reiterated that he was not trying to undermine the community’s feelings in his speech.
“All I said was that only the Malays can restore their own dignity. We cannot rely on others or the government to do that for us.
“That was the content of my speech. I don’t think I did anything wrong,” he said.
Mahathir added that his speech was based on observations on the Malays and it was important to speak the truth to correct any mistakes.
“I spoke the truth because I found that there are some who don’t want to work. If they don’t want to work, it means they’re not interested.
“If we can’t rebuke people, how can we correct them? If they do wrong and we still praise them, that will be wrong,” he said.
By G Vinod
