You are sons of Malaysia, not pendatang, Najib assures Chinese
(The Malaysian Insider) – Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak assured the Chinese Malaysians today that he recognised them as “sons of Malaysia” and not “pendatang” or immigrants.
He said that they were Malaysians above all, and they should not “worry too much about one or two individuals” who may insist otherwise.
“As far as I’m concerned, the Malaysian Chinese have contributed a lot to the development of Malaysia, to the growth of Malaysia.
“The spectacular growth of Malaysia. You’ve played your part,” Najib said in his speech at the Gerakan annual national delegates’ conference in Shah Alam today.
“And that is why you are not ‘pendatang’. You are the sons of Malaysia. you were born here, you grew up here and when the time comes, you will be buried here, or your ashes will be scattered somewhere in Malaysia.”
Najib said the government would continue to protect the interests of the Chinese, including ensuring vernacular schools continued operating.
He said that while having a single stream of schools was “ideal”, such a system was not included in the social contract signed by Malaysia’s founding fathers.
“Our social contract allows for different streams, and we live with it. We have to live with it. There’s no use going back.”
