"The Malays are the masters of this land" - Azimi must racist retract statement

DAPSY gives 3 days to Azimi Daim to retract his statement that "the Malays are the masters of this land" as it is most insensitive, racist, feudalistic and downright outrageous!

Media Statement
by Loke Siew Fook

(Petaling Jaya , Saturday): In a recent interview with the local youth magazine Siasah, UMNO Youth information chief, Azimi Daim cautioned that press freedom must be exercised ethically by taking into consideration social sensitivities in the country. He said this in his comments on the recent UMNO Youth's police report against Malaysiakini regarding the controversial article by Petrof which claimed by UMNO Youth as seditious and questioned the Malay special rights.

He said "These sensitivities do not change with time, social condition and place...in Malaysia; everybody knows that Malays are the masters of this land. We rule this country as provided for in the Federal Constitution. Any one who touches upon Malay affairs or criticizes Malays is (offending) our sensitivities,"

DAPSY is very disturbed by his comments that the Malays are the master of this land and the Malays rule the country as provided in the Federal Constitution. These comments are most insensitive, racist, feudalistic and downright outrageous! By saying that the Malays are the masters of this land, is he trying to say that the non-Malays are the servants and slaves in the country? This is the most racist statement I have ever heard by a Malaysian political leader.

In the recent PEACE Malaysia movement initiated by UMNO Youth, DAPSY has fully supported it on the stand that in certain common issues, we must be prepared to put aside all our political differences and voice together as Malaysians. After 45 years of nationhood, when all Malaysians should consider ourselves as Malaysians first rather than as Malays, Chinese, Indians, Kadazans or Ibans and to march together towards a united Malaysia, the statement by Azimi Daim is most backward and must be condemned by all Malaysians including his counterparts in UMNO Youth!

Azimi said that "We rule this country as provided for in the Federal Constitution". I challenge him to point out which article and which clause in the Federal Constitution that specifically said so. All Malaysians respects that under the Article 153 of the Federal Constitutions, it was provided that the Malays has the special rights in terms of quota for civil service, education opportunities, licenses and permits etc.

Azimi seems to be not having a good understanding of the system of parliamentary democracy where the political party which has the majority seats in the Parliament forms the government. It just happens that in the last 45 years, UMNO has always emerged as the biggest party in the Parliament but the Federal Constitution did not provide that it must be a Malay political party.

Azimi's insensitive statement has totally ignored the Vision 2020 initiated by the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Dr. Mahathir Mohamad as the number one challenge of Vision 2020 is to create a Bangsa Malaysia.

The Prime Minister should immediately direct Azimi Daim to retract his statement and make a public apology to all non-Malays Malaysians. If Azimi fail to retract his statement in 3 days time, DAPSY will consult with our Party's legal advisors and will consider taking further actions as his statement is a threat to national unity.

(7/2/2003)

* Loke Siew Fook, DAP National Secretary