Malay Supremacy Concept Enriches Only Certain Groups Of Malay - Anwar

IPOH, Nov 3 (Bernama) -- The "ketuanan Melayu" or Malay supremacy concept as advocated by certain groups, benefits and enriches only a small group of Malays, Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) advisor Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said.

"I believe that the Malays and Bumiputeras should not be sidelined," he said.

"We should do all we can to help them together with the Chinese and Indians," Anwar told reporters after a talk at the Bangunan Darul Ridzuan today.

He said, however, that fighting for Malay supremacy to enrich a small number of Malays while a larger section of the community were still in deplorable condition, was unacceptable.

On the remark by former Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Datuk Zaid Ibrahim recently that the Malay supremacy concept had failed, Anwar said, the statement should be studied by all.

At the 21st LawAsia Conference in Kuala Lumpur last week, Zaid said the Malay supremacy concept had failed and distracted from the real issues confronting the country.

The remark irked several Umno leaders, including Perlis Umno liaison chief Datuk Seri Shahidan Kassim who described Zaid's statement as excessive, while Umno supreme council member Datuk Seri Syed Hamid Albar called on Zaid to apologise to the Malays.

Meanwhile, Anwar said that certain media had been manipulating the appointment of Low Siew Moi as the acting general manager of Selangor State Development Corporation (PKNS) and turned the matter into a racial issue.

He said the appointment was only temporary until a new one was made by the Pakatan Rakyat.

-- BERNAMA


Umno Youth Demonstrates Against Appointment Of PKNS Acting General Manager

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 2 (Bernama) -- About 30 Umno Youth members held a peaceful demonstration at the Kajang toll plaza here today to protest the appointment of Low Siew Moi as acting general manager of the Selangor State Development Corporation (PKNS).

Kajang OCPPD ACP Mohd Sakaruddin Che Mood, when contacted, said 15 police personnel were despatched to the scene at 10am for security control and the group dispersed about two hours later. No arrests were made.

Low's appointment as acting PKNS general manager has drawn objections from various quarters, including six PKNS unions, which claimed that it did not fulfil the aspirations of the establishment of PKNS which was to upgrade the socio-economic status of bumiputeras.

-- BERNAMA


Malay Supremacy Can Only Be A Reality If The Race Is Successful, Says Muhammad

SHAH ALAM, Nov 1 (Bernama) -- Malay supremacy can only be a reality if the Malays had positive traits to become a race that was successful, said Rural and Regional Minister Tan Sri Muhammad Muhd Taib.

He said it was no use clamouring for Malay supremacy if Malays did not show superiority in important fields like the economy and others.

As such, he said, talk about Malay supremacy was mere rhetorics as what was more important was how Malays educated the younger generation to use Article 153 in the Constitution on Malay privileges to bring the race to greater heights.

"As such, (Datuk) Zaid Ibrahim might have misunderstood that Malay supremacy is not mere sloganeering but a programme to bring the Malays forward as provided for under Article 153," he told reporters after opening the biennial general meeting of the Selangor branch of the Former Education Service Officers Assocition of Malaysia here today.

Zaid, who resigned as the de factor law minister and senator recently, when addressing the 21st Law Asia Conference in Kuala Lumpur yesterday, said the concept of Malay supremacy had failed and was a distraction from the real issues confronting the country.

In PENANG, the Bagan Umno division, which held its delegates meeting today, unanimously passed a resolution calling for Articles 152 and 153 of the Constitution pertaining to the status of Islam and Malay privileges not to be politicised.

--BERNAMA