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TUN Dr Mahathir Mohamad’s revived agenda for Malay unity under the symbol of a “big umbrella” has been labelled obsolete and ineffective by Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) Paya Besar division chief Wan Fauzuldin Wan Samad, who argues it has done more harm than good over the decades.
He said the former prime minister’s push for uniting Malays has historically failed to stem internal divisions — instead, it worsened political fragmentation within the community, thus called has been ‘torn’.
“Malay disunity was not only unresolved but deepened during Mahathir’s 22-year tenure as prime minister, and again during the 22 months he returned to power after the 14th General Election (GE14),” Wan Fauzuldin said when contacted on Sunday.
He cited the 1988 dissolution of UMNO under Mahathir’s leadership — a move that gave rise to the splinter group Parti Melayu Semangat 46 — and the 1998 sacking of Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, which sparked the reformasi movement and led to the formation of Parti Keadilan Nasional, now known as PKR.
“Following that, Mahathir formed Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (Bersatu), and later Pejuang. All of these were Malay-based parties, but they only contributed to further divisions due to political greed,” Sinar Harin cited him saying.
According to Wan Fauzuldin, Mahathir’s re-emergence at nearly 100 years old stems from political self-preservation rather than genuine concern for Malays.
“He’s afraid of what might happen to him and his family if Anwar’s Madani government continues to gain the people’s support. There is no other agenda for Mahathir but to block Anwar, hence all these narratives portraying Anwar as a threat to Malays and the nation,” he claimed.
He also questioned the credibility of Mahathir’s leadership in any unity initiative, suggesting his legacy undermines any serious attempt to uplift the Malay community.
“People are rightly asking: can unity be championed by a leader whose past is riddled with political turmoil?” he said.
Wan Fauzuldin also took aim at PAS for aligning itself with Mahathir’s unity proposal, calling it a betrayal of Islamic principles.
“It’s strange that PAS is now enamoured by Mahathir’s ‘big umbrella’. Has the party abandoned its appetite for Islamic unity in favour of racial sentiment?”
“Melayu and Islam cannot be elevated under Mahathir’s leadership. How can he claim to defend Malays across the country when, as adviser to the SG4 — four predominantly Malay states — he has failed to improve their conditions? The Malays in those states remain impoverished and underdeveloped,” he said.
“Mahathir’s umbrella has long been torn and leaking — damaged by his own hand,” Wan Fauzuldin remarked.
Dr Mahathir recently unveiled a new initiative, the “Malay People’s Secretariat”, aimed at unifying Malays under a single banner in a bid to “restore Malay power”, announced during a press conference at the Perdana Leadership Foundation. - June 8, 2025