Vote wisely to stay protected, students told

A quick snapshot: A Mara student taking a selfie with Najib during the ‘Saya Anak Mara’ gathering at MIAT UniKL. — Bernama

SUBANG: Umno president Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak advised Mara students and graduates to support Umno as their well-being would be protected.

He urged them not to risk losing the benefits that they have been enjoying by supporting the Opposition.

Najib said the Malays should put their trust in Umno because it is the only political party that can protect their future.

The existence of Mara today, he added, was because of the policies and struggles of the Government that continuously looked after the welfare and affairs of the institution for the sake of the future of the Malays and bumiputra.

“It is important for the general election that no Malay tsunami will happen,” he said during the “Saya Anak Mara” (I’m a Child of Mara) gathering at the Malaysian Institute of Aviation Technology (MIAT) UniKL here yesterday.

Najib said the lives of the Malays and bumiputra have changed tremendously because of Mara’s role in providing them with education.

“As long as Umno is in power, Mara will continue to exist.

“That is because the fight for Mara is close to my heart and is in line with my late father’s struggles and I will continue with his work,” he added.

Mara was set up in 1966 to increase bumiputra participation in trade and industry as well as raise their socio-economic status in line with the New Economic Policy.

It was the brainchild of Najib’s father, Tun Abdul Razak Hussein, the country’s second prime minister.

The Opposition, he said, will dismantle Mara if it comes to power.

Currently, there are 120,000 Mara students studying in 358 Mara institutes nationwide.

From the time it was formed, 1.2 million students had benefited from Mara education.