SUCH is the reception that twice former premier Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad gets after having mooted a movement to unite Malays with Bersatu and PAS in a bid to resolve issues faced by Malays that he alleges the current government has failed to address.
A big ‘slap in the face’ would probably have to be that even the firebrand Malay rights defender in UMNO Youth chief Datuk Dr Muhamad Akmal Saleh has turned down the centenarian’s invitation to UMNO members to join his Jawatankuasa Sekretariat Orang Melayu (Malay People’s Secretariat Committee).
“But the same people also wanted to ban UMNO when they were in power … Now when they are not in power, the style is different,” he reacted in a Facebook post.
“Thank you, Tun, we appreciate your invitation but we still have not forgotten what happened. If you want to unite this nation, let it come from a sincere heart because you love the religion of the nation, not just want to get a position for yourself.”
Although Dr Mahathir claimed that the movement is not politically motivated and will serve as a platform to resolve issues faced by the Malays by grouping them under a payung besar (big umbrella), he did caveat that the ultimate objective can only be achieved if it regain control of the government.
Also present at the unveiling of the movement were Bersatu president Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, deputy president Datuk Seri Hamzah Zainuddin and vice president Radzi Jidin as well as PAS deputy president Datuk Seri Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man.
Opposition-slant UMNO member Datuk Zaid Ibrahim foresees the Malay unity alliance initiative as merely another effort to consolidate Malay political forces which has thus far failed to achieve meaningful electoral success.
“This is unsurprising. Major parties like UMNO and PAS continue to prioritise their own agendas, often at the expense of broader unity,” observed the former de facto law minister on X.
Dear Tun Dr Mahathir,
You have been relentless in your pursuit of uniting the Malays, and I fully understand your concerns about their future and well-being. Your commitment to the cause is admirable.
However, the effort to consolidate Malay political forces has, so far, failed…
— Zaid Ibrahim (@zaidibrahim) June 5, 2025
“Bersatu has lost momentum. The anticipated exodus from UMNO never happened and the party now finds itself adrift. While still commanding its loyal base, PAS has not adapted sufficiently to meet the expectations of a more informed and demanding electorate.”
Zaid went on to counter propose “the formation of a leadership cohort: a group of 20 capable Malaysians, preferably under the age of 50 with demonstrated integrity and success in their respective fields – politics, business, academia, civil society and entrepreneurship”.
“This group should be publicly presented as the nucleus of a future national leadership,” he pointed out.
“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.”
The bottom line is not only that man-on-the-street Malays have wised up by not wanting to fall for yet another sinister initiative in the guise of uniting them but even blamed Dr Mahathir for disuniting them at the end of the day: – June 6, 2025
Main image credit: Malay Digest (@malaydigest)/X
