KUCHING: “If Tun Dr Mathathir Mohamad feels that the mushrooming of many Malay-based parties will disunite the Malays, he shouldn’t have left the United Malays National Organisation (Umno) in the first place and start another Malay-based party, Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (Bersatu).
“In fact, he could have advised the Malays not to form other Malay-based parties,” said Tourism, Arts, Culture, Youth and Sports Minister Datuk Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah yesterday.
Karim, who is also Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu (PBB) vice-president, was commenting on the Prime Minister’s statement carried by Bernama on Friday.
Dr Mahathir invited all Malay parties including Umno to join Bersatu in efforts to unite the Malays. He said he found more Malay parties were being formed which reduced the potentials of the Malay parties to win the election.
Said Karim: “Dr Mahathir’s statement is a political comment meant for the Malay Gallery.
“Umno is an old party set up to unite the Malays in Malaya. Dr Mahathir has been a party member and served as the president for more than two decades and I am sure he knows what the struggle of the party is.
“His acts of leaving and fighting against Umno can also be deemed as an act which would split the Malays. Or is he only realising it now?”
