Anwar challenges Najib to choose 1 Malaysia or racist propaganda

By Asrul Hadi Abdullah Sani and Shazwan Mustafa Kamal - The Malaysian Insider

PETALING JAYA, August 11 — Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim today challenged Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak to decide if he wanted the country to be based on his 1 Malaysia concept or one which promoted a racist agenda.

Calling Najib's bluff?... Anwar at an event for Indian members of PKR last month, questioning now if Najib's 1 Malaysia includes everyone. – File picture by Choo Choy May

The Opposition Leader, who has been accused by Umno of being a traitor to the Malays, said that Najib had to stop the race rhetoric being employed against him or risk 1 Malaysia becoming cheap propaganda.

“On the one hand Datuk Seri Najib talks about 1 Malaysia but at the same time Umno media and supporters were instructed to play up the issue of Malay interests and that I am a traitor to the Malays,” he said.

Umno leaders and Utusan Malaysia have become more strident in their remarks in what is a palpable attempt to shore up its position as the defender of Malay interests.

The DAP has been the subject of heavy bombardment of late, with Umno and Utusan accusing the Pakatan Rakyat (PR) party of being anti-Malay and anti-Malay rulers.

Last week, Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin also accused Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim of being a traitor of the Malays, and despite the threat of a RM100 million lawsuit, the deputy Umno president has refused to retract his remarks or apologise. Anwar said today he had no interest in participating in a personal dispute with the deputy prime minister and wanted to instead engage in terms of policies.

He said that this was not the first time that Umno had tried to target him and believes that this new attempt to discredit him is clear evidence that Umno was desperate.

“I did not surrender billions of ringgit worth of property to big gaming tycoons, mountains and hills and islands. I did not take Bumiputera shares and contracts to enrich my family. Let Umno leaders therefore explain,” he said.

Anwar stressed that the issue of his alleged betrayal would not derail him from fighting for the poor Malays and against the Malay leaders who are “exorbitantly wealthy and use racial issues to protect their interests.”

“UMNO’s continued betrayal of the people goes on with scandals of misappropriation of public funds in the name of weapons commission, abuse of contracts and licenses which were meant for Bumiputeras but subsequently usurped by Umno’s families and cronies,” he said.

Anwar explained that Pakatan Rakyat and its leaders are committed to upholding the basic principles under the Federal Constitution which includes Islam’s position as the official religion of Malaysia, as well as the rights and privileges of the Malays and other races.

“We will remain steadfast in our commitment to build a united Malaysia for Malays, Chinese and Indians. I don’t want this new wave of attacks to deflect attention which exposes the true characters of Umno leaders,” he said.

Anwar was also bewildered as to why Umno had been adamant in labelling him a traitor and wondered if Umno was trying deflect public attention from the real issues.

“What is the intention of playing this up? Was it because of my presence at Teoh Beng Hock’s funeral? Or my exposing of the massive corruption of PKFZ, land scandals, billions of shares squandered by Umno leaders. “They should have answered these questions instead of resorting to such a slanderous and racist propaganda,” he said.

Anwar also told reporters that Umno’s slanderous accusations has left his personal security in jeopardy and will hold Umno responsible if anything happened to his family.