PETALING JAYA: Analysts have warned of a possible backlash from non-Malay voters against Perikatan Nasional (PN) if the coalition does not cut ties with Dr Mahathir Mohamad following recent statements by the former prime minister about the Indian and Chinese communities.
Awang Azman Pawi of Universiti Malaya said Mahathir, who was appointed as an adviser to the four states administered by PAS, could be considered a liability after claiming that the Indian and Chinese communities were not “completely loyal to Malaysia” as they wanted to identify themselves with their countries of origin.
“If PN does not take action against Mahathir by ending their cooperation, it is proof that the coalition wants Mahathir to continue working with them to boost Malay sentiments without caring about the sensitivities of other races,” he told FMT.
“If this is so, I believe PN will face increasing rejection.”
He also said that Mahathir, who led the country twice, was now viewed as an “insensitive” person.
In a recent interview with Chennai-based Tamil news channel Thanthi TV, Mahathir claimed that the Chinese and Indians were still identifying with their countries of origin.
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“They do not speak the local language at all. They have their own schools, their own language, their own culture. So, they are different from the original people who founded this country,” he added.
When the host noted that apart from speaking Tamil, Malaysian Indians also spoke Malay and were committed to Malaysia, Mahathir replied: “Malaysian Indians do not speak Malay as their home language. They speak Tamil.”
Mahathir also called the Chinese and Indians “migrants”, saying they could not therefore claim that Malaysia belonged to them. He added that they should assimilate Malay culture and become Malay if they wanted to claim the country was theirs.
Mazlan Ali of Universiti Teknologi Malaysia agreed that Mahathir’s remarks would have an impact on the PN coalition led by Muhyiddin Yassin.
He added that PN would not be unduly affected if it cut ties with Mahathir as he no longer had significant sway on the country’s politics.
“Mahathir still has influence, especially among the Malays… But it’s not as strong as before,” he said.
“Without aligning with a major coalition like Pakatan Harapan, Barisan Nasional, or PN… political parties led by Mahathir cannot win seats, let alone form a government,” he said, referring to the defeat of Gerakan Tanah Air in every seat it contested at the 2022 general election.
Mahathir himself failed to retain his parliamentary seat of Langkawi, losing his deposit as well.
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