KUALA LUMPUR: Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad and several top leaders from Perikatan Nasional have united to address what they see as a common threat to the Malays — the government.
Dr Mahathir claimed that the Malays are being targeted for investigations by the government, with many charged with crimes.
"Many Malays who are vocal were pressured by the government and threats were made that they will be charged in court and jailed for many years, as well as being caned and fined.
"Because of that, the Malays feel they should come together because the problem is common to all of them," said Dr Mahathir at a press conference following the Roundtable Meeting on Malay Dignity and Power on Thursday (Dec 12).
In a video published on TikTok, Dr Mahathir also stated that these Malays were not tied to one party alone.
Present with Dr Mahathir were former premier Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, former minister Tan Sri Annuar Musa, PAS vice-president Datuk Idris Ahmad, among others.
"So these are the things that brought us together," Dr Mahathir said.
He noted that the meeting resulted in three resolutions.
"We agreed that Malay power on Malay land will disappear if nothing is done now to stop it. We also agreed that we have a common enemy and that is to say that we have come together to face this common enemy. We also agreed to unite the Malays to prevent Malay power from eroding," said Dr Mahathir.
Currently, Dr Mahathir faces criticism following a recent Royal Commission of Inquiry (RCI) report that found him responsible for losing sovereignty rights of Batu Puteh to Singapore, which Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim described as a treacherous act.
Earlier, Muhyiddin defended Dr Mahathir from accusations of treason over the issue.
In a highly redacted and declassified report tabled on MPs' desks in Parliament on Dec 5, the RCI report recommended investigations into offences of cheating under Sections 415(b), 417, and 418 of the Penal Code, resulting in the loss of Batu Puteh.
It also recommended that the RCI secretary lodge a police report to initiate the probe.
The issue stems from a decision made by the government in 2018 to withdraw Malaysia’s application to review the International Court of Justice’s decision on the sovereignty of Batu Puteh.
At the time, the government was led by Dr Mahathir.
