Former Prime Minister Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamad has voiced scathing criticism against his successors, alleging that they have failed to preserve the unity of the Malays—a cohesion he claims was robust during Umno's dominance under his leadership.
Speaking out in Kuala Lumpur, Dr. Mahathir pointedly attributed the decline in Malay unity to subsequent administrations following his initial tenure. He highlighted that the downturn began prominently during the tenure of Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, under whose leadership Barisan Nasional (BN) faced significant electoral setbacks.
"In 2008, when he (Abdullah) stood for election, he lost five states," Dr. Mahathir emphasized, referencing BN's electoral losses, which saw the opposition gaining control of several key states.
Despite BN's resounding victory in the 2004 general election, where they secured 198 out of 219 parliamentary seats, the political landscape shifted drastically by 2008. Dr. Mahathir attributed these setbacks to internal issues within BN and perceived shortcomings in Abdullah's leadership, which he claimed became evident over the subsequent years.
Dr. Mahathir's critique extended to the era of Datuk Seri Najib Razak, Abdullah's successor, whom he accused of further exacerbating Malay disunity. Central to his criticism was Najib's involvement in the 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) scandal, which led to Najib's conviction on charges related to abuse of power and money laundering.
"The 1MDB scandal fueled public outrage and significantly contributed to BN's loss in the 2018 general election," Dr. Mahathir noted, referencing the landmark event where Pakatan Harapan ousted BN from power, marking Malaysia's first change of government since independence.
Highlighting the fragmentation of Malay political power, Dr. Mahathir lamented the splintering effect caused by the departure of various factions from Umno to form different political entities. He underscored how this fragmentation had diluted the unity once enjoyed under Umno's umbrella, resulting in Malays being divided among multiple parties.
"At one time, the Malays were united in Umno. All Malays were in Umno, including the religious people, English-educated, Malay-educated – all were in Umno," Dr. Mahathir reminisced, underscoring the broad spectrum of Malay society that once found common cause within the party.
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