In response to my challenge on the four acid tests of whether he really supports Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s 1Malaysia concept, Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin declared he is “Malay first” and then only a Malaysian.
He said: “I am Malay first! But being Malay does not mean you are not Malaysian. It is not a race issue.”
Again accusing me of trying to drive a wedge between him and Najib, he said:
“The question of 1 Malaysia should not be brought up. When a leader talks about the interest of his own race, it does not mean he doesn’t support 1 Malaysia. 1 Malaysia is based on the Constitution.
“How can I say I’m Malaysian first and Malay second? All the Malays will shun me and say that it is not proper.
“There is nothing wrong in leaders fighting for their own race. Don’t tell me Kit Siang does not fight for the Chinese?”
He even challenged me to declare that I am Malaysian first and Chinese second, until he was told by reporters that I had already made such a declaration – in Parliament during the debate on the Royal Address on 18th March.
I feel very sorry for the Prime Minister that his signature concept of 1Malaysia as the sixth Prime Minister of Malaysia has been torn into smithereens by his deputy just on the eve of his first anniversary as Prime Minister on Saturday on 3rd April.
In fact, thanks to Muhyiddin, Najib’s 1Malaysia concept has been turned nationwide into an April Fool’s joke, as today is April 1.
I never said that a person who regards himself as a Malay first and Malaysian second is not a Malaysian – but clearly he does not qualify to become a “1Malaysian”.
Who is a “1Malaysian”?
This is clearly spelt out in the 1Malaysia Government Transformation Programme Roadmap launched by the Prime Minister at the end of January, which declared that the goal of 1Malaysia is “to make Malaysia ….a greater nation: a nation where, it is hoped, every Malaysian perceives himself or herself as Malaysian first, and by race, religion, geographical region or socio-economic background second and where the principles of 1Malaysia are woven into the economic, political and social fabric of society”.
I had said in my speech in Parliament on March 18 that the the biggest enemy of 1Malaysia is not from outside Barisan Nasional but from inside Umno and Muhyiddin has proved me right.
I had wondered during my speech how many Cabinet Ministers and Barisan Nasional leaders have the 1Malaysia DNA as to be able to pass the four simple 1Malaysia tests I had formulated.
During my speech in Parliament on March 18, when I put forward the four 1Malaysia acid tests, UMNO MPs including the UMNO Youth leader Khairy Jamaluddin ran for cover and dared not give a straightforward answer.
Let me challenge all the other 17 UMNO Ministers and other BN Ministers to stand up and be counted to declare whether they are Malaysians first and Malays, Chinese, Indians, Kadazans or Ibans second or the reverse.
In fact, I want to ask the Minister responsible for the 1Malaysia Government Transformation Programme Roadmap, Senator Tan Sri Dr. Koh Tsu Koon whether it is tenable for him to continue as Cabinet Minister when the very rationale of his portfolio – 1Malaysia GTP – had collapsed and destroyed by none other than the Deputy Prime Minister?