KUALA LUMPUR, 5 May — DAP’s Tan Sri Lim Kit Siang has challenged Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin to explain his apparent shift from identifying as “Malay first” to “Malaysian first.”
The DAP veteran recalled that Muhyiddin once openly declared himself “Malay first, Malaysian second” while serving in government.
“The first question: When was he converted from ‘Malay first, Malaysian second’ to ‘Malaysian first, Malay second’?
“Second question: Is he prepared to lead a campaign to urge all Malaysians to see themselves as nationality first, ethnicity second?” Lim said in a statement.
In 2010, Muhyiddin openly declared that he was “Malay first” while he was the deputy prime minister under Najib Razak’s government.
However, he yesterday distanced himself from that remark, claiming his “Malay first” stance is in the past and emphasising that he and his coalition, Perikatan Nasional, now care for all Malaysians regardless of ethnicity.
Muhyiddin made the claim while attending an “Indian unity” gathering organised by the Malaysian Indian People’s Party.
Today, Lim questioned the sincerity of the shift and asked whether the PN chairman would now lead a national push for unity over race.
