DR Mahathir Mohamad is being disingenuous – even intellectually dishonest, some may argue, with his latest defence on attending the recent Malay Dignity Congress.
The prime minister said he had every right to attend the gathering because he is a Malay. No argument there.
He then went on to argue that it was normal in countries for people to identify with their race and to gather and articulate concerns about their language, identity, etc. No argument there.
So he was puzzled why this Malay Dignity Congress was branded as “racist”.
This is where his defence about attending the congress crumbles and become disingenuous.
Some Malaysians and many of those who put him in power didn’t want him to attend this congress because they suspected that it would be a festival of race-baiting rhetoric against the manufactured enemy – the non-Malays.
They suspected that the organisers of the gathering had little intention of really drawing attention to alleviating the social or economic condition of the Malays.
Instead it would be what many of us have witnessed at Umno assemblies over the years – divisive talk camouflaged as standing up for Malay rights.
Can anyone even remember what was decided at the Malay Dignity Congress aside from the incendiary speech by Zainal Kling or some resolutions aimed at securing top positions in government for Malays.
The underlying theme of the meeting was that somehow the Malay primacy in the country is under threat from Chinese and Indians.
If the prime minister’s presence at this gathering was not troubling enough, Dr Mahathir’s absolute silence in the wake of the garbage that was lobbed at non-Malays is even more shocking. Does he also subscribe to the view that Malay rights are under threat from non-Malays?
Does he support what Zainal Kling said and the tone he took?
Did he not think it odd that he was sharing the same platform with politicians who want to destroy Pakatan Harapan (PH)?
Has it not crossed his mind that the same people he shared the stage with have been instrumental in pillaging and damaging his own race and Malaysia?
So many more questions for Dr Mahathir to answer but yet he plays the victim.
His presence at the congress has legitimised race-baiting and emboldened some politicians to drive the divisive agenda even further.
His presence at the congress has perhaps even allowed some politicians to believe that it is open season against DAP, a component of the PH government.
Finally, his presence at the congress suggests that he has given up on the power-sharing arrangement of PH.
How sad.
Malaysians who voted for Dr Mahathir and PH wanted him to lead the country on a path to unity and glory.
Instead, we are heading back to the abyss of hate.
We want M to mean Malaysia, not M for mistake. – October 25, 2019.
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