Muhyiddin’s racist outburst demolishes 1Malaysia facade
Fan Yew Teng takes issue with Muhyiddin’s recent outburst; what a stark contrast to Umno founder Onn Jaafar, who was more inclusive and open, he observes.
Muhyiddin Yassin, Malaysian deputy chairman, has lately been playing the racist card to the hilt.
In his speech at the opening of the Seri Gading Umno division meeting in early August, Muhyiddin, according to The Star (11 August 2009) made some comments about Anwar Ibrahim.
'Malay traitors'
The Star reported that “Anwar’s lawyer later had submitted a notice demanding Muhyiddin and Utusan Malaysia, which printed the report, to issue an apology or face a RM100mil libel suit from the former deputy prime minister.”
The Star also reported on the same day that Muhyiddin had the day before warned that there are certain individuals among the Malays who would sacrifice their own race for political expediency.
The leading headline on page N8 of the English language daily was: ‘DPM slams Malay traitors’.
The paper reported that “Muhyiddin, who is also Umno deputy president, said these people would stoop to any level in trying to achieve their political ambitions”.
“He said, in the 52 years Umno had been leading the nation, the party had never forsaken the interest of the Malays but in fact had always and would continue to champion them,” the report added.
“It has become my responsibility,” Muhyiddin was reported to have said, “to oppose these individuals who are only after their own political interests at all costs.
“I cannot imagine how our country will be if we (Barisan Nasional and Umno) are no longer in power after the general election,” he said when opening the 11th annual general meeting in Kuala Lumpur of Perdasama, an association for Malay businessmen.
The Star report continued: “Muhyiddin added that what was also more worrying now was that there are some non-Malay quarters who were openly questioning Malay rights and privileges.
“And what was even more disappointing,” he said, “was that there was a small number of Malays who were acting as a thorn in the flesh”.
According to The Star report, “He urged the Malays to be firmly united against these traitors as they were obstacles to the progress of the Malays..”
