Ramasamy: Is it time for a non-Malay 'big umbrella'?
Urimai chairperson P Ramasamy is contemplating whether it is time for non-Malay communities to consider forming their own umbrella coalition to defend their 'rapidly eroding rights' in what he describes as a fragmented and directionless Malaysia.
Commenting on former premier Dr Mahathir Mohamad's proposed 'big umbrella' for the Malays, Ramasamy argued that the plight of non-Malays under the Pakatan Harapan and Anwar Ibrahim-led government is equally troubling.
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Free Malaysia Today
3 hours ago
- Free Malaysia Today
Dr M's latest ‘Malay unity' effort also bound to fizzle out, say analysts
On Wednesday, former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad launched the Malay secretariat committee, intended as an umbrella body to unite all Malays and restore their political power. PETALING JAYA : Two analysts have poured cold water on Dr Mahathir Mohamad's latest effort to unite the Malays and restore their political power, expecting it to fizzle out like the former prime minister's other initiatives. Azmi Hassan of Akademi Nusantara and Universiti Teknologi Malaysia's Mazlan Ali said Mahathir's previous initiatives, namely the formation of Pejuang and the Gerakan Tanah Air (GTA) coalition, have both failed. Neither pundit believes this proposed new movement will gain traction, saying that most Malays will see it as just another political ploy, especially given that both PAS and Bersatu have offered Mahathir their backing. Azmi said Mahathir may be seeking to replicate the success of Muafakat Nasional (MN), the now defunct Umno-PAS pact, which, at its highest point, led a protest attended by more than 55,000 Malays against the then Pakatan Harapan government in 2018. Azmi Hassan. However, he said Mahathir's proposed 'Malay secretariat committee' would not work without Umno's involvement. This is why Mahathir was courting Umno members without inviting the party to join as a whole, Azmi added. 'The reason MN enjoyed a short period of success in the past was because the Malays at that particular time saw a threat in the PH government. Ironically, Mahathir was the prime minister then. 'When there is a threat to the Malays, they will join forces, as seen during the 2018 protest. But right now there is no such urgency, especially for Umno members, to be part of Mahathir's current effort,' Azmi told FMT. Mazlan said Mahathir's Perikatan Nasional-backed Malay secretariat was likely a political strategy ahead of the next general election (GE16) but is unlikely to bear fruit. Mazlan Ali. 'I don't see Mahathir as having the gravitas to unite the Malays, because many of his actions seem inconsistent, so the people don't really believe him. 'People will just see it as a political agenda, not an agenda to unite the Malays. A genuine agenda to unite the Malays must be non-partisan.' He added that not all members of the community believed in the idea of restoring Malay political power, saying Malaysia's multiracial environment meant that political cooperation across all races was a necessity. Mahathir launched his new Malay unity alliance on Wednesday. The longtime former Umno president, who later led Bersatu, Pejuang and GTA, said the alliance would not be a formal political party for now but a loose coalition to gather the Malays under one 'big umbrella'. Azmi said the other issue with the 'umbrella' was that it was led by the same old faces — Mahathir, former prime minister Muhyiddin Yassin, opposition leader Hamzah Zainudin, and PAS deputy president Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man. He preferred former law minister Zaid Ibrahim's proposal of a new movement to unite the Malays led by leaders under the age of 50 with proven success in various fields. 'I think the younger generation needs to be at the forefront, not Mahathir, because Mahathir and his team in the committee have their own political agenda. 'Malay professionals don't have a political agenda, so I think that's the way to do it if we want to gather all the Malays under one roof.'
The Star
8 hours ago
- The Star
Asean News Headlines as at 10pm on Friday (June 6, 2025)
Malaysia: * Engineer loses over RM1.5mil to online investment scam * Anwar expresses hope for Pakistan and India to find peaceful solution * Hadi hints he may step down as PAS president * US judge again halts ban on foreign students at Harvard * PETRONAS job cuts mainly affect contract workers, says Anwar * Malaysia reaffirms commitment to disaster-resilient education through national policy - Ahmad Zahid * FRU crash tragedy: JPJ opens investigation paper on lorry company * E-invoicing deadlines for businesses with revenue below RM5mil revised, says LHDN * S'wak keen on global partnerships in its bid to become a clean energy leader * Abim condemns US veto of UN Security Council's call for Gaza ceasefire * No foul play in death of man hit by LRT train in Puchong, say police * Police complete recording actor-cum-singer's statement over alleged sexual assault * High-rise tragedies show a systemic failure to ensure child safety, says children's commissioner Singapore: * Former senior minister Teo Chee Hean to be next Temasek chairman, taking over from Lim Boon Heng * Four charged over suspected involvement in 'blessing' scams * S$6,000 fine for man who falsely claimed Singapore minister made offensive remarks against Malays * Growing Temasek: Lim Boon Heng's contributions as chairman over the years * S$6k fine for man who falsely claimed Singapore minister made offensive remarks against Malays * Over 200 people investigated for suspected roles in scams in Singapore involving more than RM19.20mil in losses * Queues at VEP application centres in Singapore, JB after news of enforcement from July 1 * Ex-Singapore transport minister S. 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Focus Malaysia
15 hours ago
- Focus Malaysia
Why is a non-Muslim DAP rep allowed to poke his nose in the running of Islamic affairs?
MUSLIMS seem to be divided over the recent 'open-minded' move by the Negeri Sembilan Islamic Religious Council (MAINS) to include non-Muslim politicians in its Islamic affairs briefing. This came about as a pro-opposition netizen questioned the presence of the state's Industry and Non-Muslim Affairs Committee chairman Teo Kok Seong (not to be mistaken for his controversial academician namesake) at the briefing on grounds that 'matters pertaining to Islamic affairs should shield be left to Muslims to manage by themselves'. 'Such action is incorrect and should be questioned,' he penned on X in reaction to a photo bearing the caption 'There is a DAP representative in the MAINS meeting as an observer'. Sampai sekarang kerajaan Negeri Sembilan PH-BN tak memberikan penjelasan kenapa ada pemimpin non-muslim yang masuk dlm mesyuarat Majlis Agama Islam Negeri Sembilan. Hal ehwal urusan agama islam biarlah org islam sendiri uruskan. Tindakan ini tidak betul & perlu ditegur. — (@ahmadazarul_) May 29, 2025 Earlier, MAINS had defended the briefing held on May 20 which Teo who is also a two-term Bahau state assemblyman attended as part of an inclusive and integrated governance approach involving members of the state executive council, including non-Muslims. 'The attendance was in line with the directive and consent of the Negeri Sembilan ruler Tuanku Muhriz Tuanku Munawir aimed at providing exposure and deepening understanding of Islamic administration in the state,' read the statemen by MAINS. The council further noted that it had previously conducted a similar briefing with all state assembly members – including non-Muslims from both government and opposition – on Oct 8 last year. This approach reflects its commitment to progressive and inclusive Islamic governance, according to the council. Many Madani government backers ticked of the poster for his narrow mindset, alluding to the point that Tuanku Muhriz as the Negeri Sembilan ruler had consented the move given Teo's attendance would further enhance the understanding of non-Muslims on the state's Islamic administration. Moreover, the poster was either oblivious or had y chosen to ignore to ignore the fact that MAINS had clarified on the matter on May 27 which is two days prior to his social media post. As one commenter aptly put it, though there was a non-Muslim presence in the briefing, 'it's the Muslims who eventually make decisions on Islamic matters'. This is when it became obvious that the issue here is not about non-Muslims sitting in the briefing or interfering in the administration of Islamic affairs but merely a tool by the pro-PAS faction to demonise DAP. To counter the grouses of a pro-opposition commenter as to why 'only Muslins are busy inviting non-Muslims to gatherings/conferences related to Islam when the same is not reciprocated by non-Muslims', one rational Muslim furnished the following cheeky response: 'How is this possible when some radical Muslims have even demanded that the Christian cross at churches be removed. And now you want to be invited to interfaith dialogues?' – May 31, 2025
