Zahid: UiTM should only be for Malays

Umno will not allow anyone to do away with the sovereignty of Malay kings or its institutions or change Malaysia to a Republic.

(MMO) – Umno presidential candidate Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi criticised the government’s possible move to open the Matriculation programme in Universiti Teknologi Mara (UiITM) for non-Malays and non-bumiputera.

“I’m not being racist, but I’m questioning why such move should be allowed as the non-Malays and non-bumiputera has the opportunity to enrol in other universities.

“UiTM is established to help the Malays, who has been long left out in education,” he said in his speech at the Umno Bagan Datuk division’s general annual meeting here.

“It’s saddening to see the Education Minister who is a Malay did not bother to fight for the Malay rights, instead allowing such move due to political interest,” Ahmad Zahid.

Ahmad Zahid also point outs that Umno is the sole party which fights and defends the rights of Malays and the sovereignty of the Malay kings.

He said Umno is still relevant in the new political landscape as it fights for the interest of the Malays and its kings.

“Umno will not allow anyone to do away with the sovereignty of Malay kings or its institutions or change Malaysia to a Republic.

“We will fight and defend the rights of Malay and its kings as these privileged is stated in the country’s constitutions and should not be denied,” he said.

“We did not ask more than what was written in the constitution. We only wanted the rights of Malays to be protected,” he said.

Ahmad Zahid also said the government should preserve Malay as the national language and applied it all the official events.

“We have seen the Finance Minister giving statements in Mandarin while the Human Resource Minister in Tamil just because they’re Chinese and Indian.

“I’m not denying their rights to speak in their mother tongue, but Malay language should be used in an official event and there is no compromise for it as it is clearly stated in our constitution that Malay is the national language,” he said.

Ahmad Zahid also said the members and supporters of Umno should rise and fight for the right of the Malays.