Zaid moots new group to unite the Malays
Former law minister Zaid Ibrahim said the new 'leadership cohort' should come from a broad and inclusive spectrum.
PETALING JAYA : Ex-law minister Zaid Ibrahim has proposed the formation of a new group to unite the Malays, saying past efforts by former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad failed to achieve the desired results.
In a post on X, he said Mahathir's push to consolidate Malay political forces had 'unsurprisingly' failed to achieve meaningful electoral success, pointing to parties such as Umno and PAS which he said continued to prioritise their individual agendas at the expense of broader unity.
'If we are serious about presenting a genuine alternative to the current administration and uniting the Malays under a broader national vision, then the solution lies not in reviving tired structures but in building something new and credible,' he said.
He proposed the formation of 'a leadership cohort' comprising 20 capable Malaysians.
He said members of this group should be below the age of 50, with success in their respective fields, whether politics, business, academia, civil society or entrepreneurship.
He said this group should be presented as the nucleus of a future national leadership, with a clear and practical blueprint for Malaysia, focused on education reform, economic revitalisation, technological advancement, and fiscal prudence.
'Crucially, this group must come from a broad and inclusive spectrum.
'They must not be the usual suspects – party officials with worn-out ideas and questionable reputations – but fresh, untainted voices with the courage to speak and act in the national interest,' he said.
Mahathir said last night that he would invite Umno members to join his new Malay unity alliance in an effort to 'restore Malay power' in the government.
He said the big-tent alliance, which included PAS and Bersatu, would not be a formal political party for now, but a loose coalition to rally the Malays in an effort to save the community from what he described as political and economic decline.
Last month, Mahathir said Malay-based parties, including Perikatan Nasional, had failed to unite the community. He also said that Malay unity could not be achieved within the confines of political parties as they each had 'their own agendas'.
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