KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 26 ― The non-Malays must do their part and honour the pledges of their ancestors when they were granted citizenship during the formation of the country, Umno Youth chief Khairy Jamaluddin said today.
He said Malaysia's multi-cultural society has long been guided by the social contract drawn up between the Malays and the Chinese and Indian communities who opted to take up citizenship in the early days of the country’s formation.
“However, why are there still those who do not respect this agreement? If the Malays can accept it by not raising the matter of citizenship and acknowledging that we cannot shut down vernacular schools, why are there those among non-malays who refuse to honour what they have previously agreed upon?” Khairy said in his policy speech at the start of the party wing's general assembly.
“Why are there those who ask for the Malay special privileges to be stopped, those who dispute the position of the Malay rulers and even those who cannot speak a word of the national language?” he continued.
If the Malays remain steadfast in their principles of upholding the agreement, the non-Malays should then do the same and hold up their end of the bargain, Khairy said.
“Never again dispute what has been agreed upon. We are not demanding that they give up what they already have, but merely to keep to what we all have agreed together,” he said.
Despite a clutch of “fringe voices” who continue to challenge the country’s recognition of mother tongue education, Khairy said there is no threat to vernacular schools in Malaysia.
Even Umno president and Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak has made it a point to provide special allocations for vernacular schools every year under the national budget, he added.
“It is already forged in the laws of the land and not even the Minister of Education can change the fate of the vernacular schools,” Khairy said.
The youth leader lamented that despite efforts to promote national integration over the years, there are still many who have a poor command of Bahasa Malaysia as the national language.
Homing in on school leavers drafted into National Service, Khairy said many from vernacular schools were found to be unable to converse in Malay.
“Vernacular schools should be continued but we have to do something to strengthen national unity in this country. Everyone should be part of this process of integration, and not remain in their silos.
“Show a bit of love for your country. Do not grumble about it if you refuse to stand when the Negaraku plays around you. Show the world that we are not divided by our ethnic silos, we are the citizen of Malaysia!” he said.
Claiming Malays under siege, Khairy says time for patience is over
KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 26 — Umno Youth chief Khairy Jamaluddin called on Malays today to rise and defend themselves from an onslaught of insults and challenges to their special position in the country, declaring that the country’s majority ethnic group has been patient enough.
Scoffing at a recent statement by Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng who had called Khairy “racist” over the content of his policy speech at the start of Umno youth wing’s general assembly this morning, the Umno minister said the DAP leader was mistaken in thinking that there is nobody questioning the rights of the Malays.
“Right after that I read that statement, I went on Twitter and immediately there are these posts questioning DBKL’s decision to rename several roads after our previous Yang Di-pertuan Agongs, who were the leaders of all Malaysians,” he said, referring to Kuala Lumpur City Hall by its Malay initials.
“One post read, ‘What is the Agong’s contribution that they need to be given such an honour? At least Karpal Singh contributed to the people’,” he said in his winding up speech, eliciting jeers from Umno Youth delegates.
“In Penang they renamed a road to Jalan Karpal Singh, and nobody made any noise... when they say nobody is challenging, I open Twitter and I immediately see all this... this is proof that if we don’t rise and defend our race, religion and country, we will be ridiculed,” Khairy added.
Earlier today, Lim issued a statement criticising Khairy for playing up racial sentiments at the expense of the country’s minorities at the on-going Umno general assembly instead of focusing on pressing issues, such as the economy.
The DAP secretary-general said it was “dishonest and evil politics” for Khairy to make “false and malicious” claims that non-Malays had questioned the rights of the Malays as enshrined in the Federal Constitution.
In his policy speech this morning, Khairy said it is only fair that the non-Malays reciprocate the Malay community’s decision to honour their side of the bargain under the “social contract” by continuing to recognise the rights of the non-Malays as citizens.
Khairy, in his evening speech, stressed that the Malays have always been at the forefront in defence of all Malaysians against insults and attacks, regardless of race or religion.
Describing the Malays as an “honourable race”, he said the Malays have kept their cool even after being called racist for defending themselves from similar attacks.
“We have endured this for so long. Beware, when our pride is challenged... Malays are not ones to be challenged or insulted. We take care of this country for all Malaysians, but don’t question our rights,” he said.
Khairy, meanwhile, urged all Umno Youth members to get straight to work in pushing the party “rejuvenation” agenda mooted by Umno president and Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak, to shed the perception that the wing members are only “waiting on projects, sitting in hotel lobbies and smoking cigars”.
Khairy said the onus is on them to prove to the party’s top tier that they are ready to take on the mantle of leadership and reclaim whatever ground lost over the two past national polls.
“We want to prove to the party leadership, that this is not just empty talk. We must show that we are ready and that we have done our work... don’t just ask for it. We must prove we are qualified to be given a place” in the main party, he said.
No comments:
Post a Comment