The recent signing of the Malay Proclamation by Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamad and several PAS leaders has stirred controversy among political analysts and leaders alike. While it purports to be a 12-point programme aimed at uplifting the Malays and promoting their unity, some have criticized it as a thinly veiled attempt to bring down the unity government under Anwar.
Dr. P. Ramasamy, a senior DAP leader, expressed his skepticism about the true intentions of the Malay Proclamation, calling it a ploy to undermine the unity government. He also criticized PAS for their lack of concrete actions to improve the lives of Malays in Kelantan and Terengganu, where the party has ruled for decades. According to Ramasamy, many Malays in these states are struggling economically and lack basic necessities such as an adequate water supply.
Furthermore, Ramasamy argued that PAS is a "hypocritical political party" that only uses religion to remain relevant to Malays. He claimed that PAS has abandoned its past attempts to eliminate nationalism from its political ideology and is now solely focused on gaining power and positions.
On the other hand, Prof. Datuk Dr. Shamsul Amri Baharuddin, the founding director of the Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia Institute of Ethnic Studies, emphasized that Malaysian politics has shifted from coalition-based politics to strategic group-based politics. He stated that political parties are now more concerned with pursuing their own interests and strategies than the interests of the party as a whole. Perikatan, for example, is currently focused on securing Malay votes, while Dr. Mahathir sees this as an opportunity to strengthen the positioning of his party, Pejuang.
The signing of the Malay Proclamation has sparked debate and criticism from various political leaders and analysts. While some view it as a genuine effort to uplift the Malays and promote their unity, others see it as a political ploy to bring down the unity government under Anwar. Regardless of its true intentions, the Malay Proclamation reflects the shifting landscape of Malaysian politics, where parties are increasingly focused on pursuing their own interests and strategies.
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