PKR: Uphold Malay dignity but not through supremacy route

PETALING JAYA – The concept of Malay supremacy must be abandoned so that the younger generation would grow up with the right vision, says Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) president Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail.

"Malay supremacy is the slogan used by a small 'elite' group of Malays who deceives the larger group of the community to satisfy their personal interests," she said, adding that the small group comprised those who committed bribery, corruption, criminal breach of trust and other crimes.

Dr Wan Azizah said that a nation and the people would only gain respect when they have dignity.

"So, if a nation wants to grow, it must preserve and maintain its dignity, and this includes the Malays."

She also said that after 53 years of independence, the fate of the Malays and the bumiputra in Malaysia were still neglected, and they were still plagued by social, educational, economic and cultural ills.

She said the current government had neglected the Orang Asli in Malaysia, who were not getting proper attention and protection.

Their poor living conditions were akin to having been deliberately designed for manipulation by certain quarters when the time suited the manipulators, she claimed, adding that there was no provision in the Federal Constitution to protect the interests of indigenous people in the country.

"Their positions are not guaranteed because their rights were not included in the interpretation of Article 153 and Article 160 of the Federal Constitution.

"Clause (2) in Article 160 only interprets that Orang Asli is Orang Asli of Peninsular Malaysia, while in Article 153 of the Federal Constitution, it only covers the Malays and Bumiputra of Sabah and Sarawak," she said.

As such, she said, PKR promised to take bold and responsible actions to secure the positions of the indigenous people.

Earlier, Wan Azizah said that despite the flaws in the party's first top leadership election, it had achieved its target with over 70,000 members casting their votes at the branch and central levels.

According to Bernama, she acknowledged that the party had received complaints related to the conduct of its polls for the 2010-2013 term.

"We cannot judge anyone just by allegations which are fundamentally weak. We are fighting for justice, so we must also be fair in judging our own friends," she said in her keynote address at the Seventh PKR Annual National Congress here on Saturday.

PKR secretary-general Saifuddin Nasution Ismail said the party had received 289 complaints so far.

He said with divisional elections having closed, there were 12 complaints that have yet to be settled while nine pertaining to the party's polls for its central leadership were still being evaluated.