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FORMER prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad has announced the formation of a movement to unite the Malay community under a single umbrella.
This follows a meeting with several political leaders, including from Perikatan Nasional and PAS to discuss the 'big umbrella' secretariat.
Dr Mahathir said the movement is not politically motivated and will serve as a platform to resolve issues faced by Malays.
"It is a collective response to the growing challenges faced by Malays in the country.
"From our meeting with Bersatu and Pas, we believe the Malay community has problems," he said.
He said there are many problems faced by the Malays that can only be overcome if the government is controlled by Malays.
"That is why our struggle is to find a way for us to regain power so we can deal with the problems faced by the Malays.
"And, we agreed to establish this unofficial movement, which we call payung besar (big umbrella), so that all Malays can be within one group.
“I invite Umno members to join us because they are Malays and if they agree with our efforts, we welcome them,” he told a press conference at the Perdana Leadership Foundation.
Also present were Bersatu president Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, deputy president Datuk Seri Hamzah Zainuddin and vice president Radzi Jidin, as well as PAS deputy president Datuk Seri Ibrahim Tuan Man.
"If we are divided, we will fail. We can only regain power when we are united.
"We believe the only way to solve Malay issues is for Malays to once again hold power in government."
Asked about several grievances affecting the Malay community, Dr Mahathir cited the decline of the Malay language and issues related to Malay rights, among others. – June 5, 20