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When Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamad speaks, Malaysians still pay attention.
Not because everyone agrees with him. Far from it. But because few individuals have shaped modern Malaysia as profoundly as he has.
Recently, Tun M published an open letter urging Malays to vote only for Malay candidates in the next general election, regardless of political party or affiliation. He argued that loyalty should first and foremost be to the Malay race, warning that if Malays continue to place their loyalty elsewhere, Malaysia would cease to be Tanah Melayu and Malays would eventually become a people without a homeland.
These are not ordinary remarks made by an ordinary politician.
They come from a man who served as Prime Minister for more than two decades across two separate administrations. A man who has spent over half a century at the very centre of Malaysian politics. Few leaders have witnessed as much of our nation's journey as Tun M. He has seen racial tensions, economic crises, political upheavals, constitutional conflicts, and the changing hopes and anxieties of generations of Malaysians.
If there is one Malaysian politician whose words should be tempered by experience, it is his.
And with experience should come wisdom.
Wisdom is different from intelligence. Intelligence helps us solve today's problems. Wisdom teaches us not to create tomorrow's.
That is why his statement is so disappointing.
One expects someone who has spent a lifetime leading a multiracial nation to speak about strengthening institutions, raising the quality of leadership, fighting corruption, and encouraging citizens to choose candidates based on integrity, competence and vision.
Instead, he asks Malays to place race above all else.
It leaves many of us asking: why?
Perhaps Tun M genuinely believes the Malays are becoming politically fragmented. Perhaps he fears that demographic and political shifts could one day weaken Malay political influence. Perhaps, after decades in politics, he has concluded that racial solidarity is the safest way to preserve what he believes is at risk.
If that is indeed his reasoning, then it deserves to be debated openly.
But fear has never been a good foundation for democracy.
Every election asks us a simple question: who is the best person to represent us?
Not who shares our race.
Not who speaks our language.
Not who worships as we do.
But who has the character, competence and integrity to serve the people.
The moment we replace that question with "What race is the candidate?", we stop demanding excellence from our leaders.
We lower the standard.
History has shown us that corruption does not discriminate by race. Abuse of power does not discriminate by race. Incompetence does not discriminate by race. Neither does honesty. Neither does courage. Neither does compassion.
Malaysia has produced admirable leaders from every community, just as every community has produced leaders who have failed the people. Race has never been a reliable measure of character.
The irony is that Tun M himself spent decades delivering a very different message to the Malays.
He challenged Malays to study harder, work harder, become more disciplined, more competitive and more self-reliant.
He repeatedly argued that Malays should succeed because they were capable, not because they were shielded from competition.
He wanted Malays to stand confidently on the world stage, not retreat into fear.
That philosophy inspired an entire generation.
Which is why this latest appeal seems to abandon the very ideals he once championed.
It suggests that our greatest protection is no longer excellence, but ethnicity.
That is not a message of confidence. It is a message of insecurity.
Tun M's famous quote may have been "Melayu mudah lupa," but it seems to me that Tun M, too, has forgotten that he spent decades asking Malays to become stronger, more competitive, and more confident in their own ability to succeed.
This latest appeal feels inconsistent with the philosophy that defined much of his political career.
And perhaps that is the greatest disappointment of all.
Fa Abdul (fa.abdul.penang@gmail.com) is a content creator under the Newswav Creator programme, where you get to express yourself, be a citizen journalist, and at the same time monetize your content & reach millions of users on Newswav. Log in to creator.newswav.com and become a Newswav Creator now!
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