Malay Consultative Council urged to contribute ideas in creating new national agenda

KUALA LUMPUR: The Malay Consultative Council (MPM) has been urged to contribute ideas to help the government in drawing up the main agenda for the Malays and country.

Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said the MPM, which is participated by national figures with expertise in various fields should not restrict their views merely on papers at the seminars and conventions but should join together in implementing the agenda with the government.

“I don’t want the MPM to think of minor issues such as how to pay rent on the building and administrative issues, but to focus on the major national agendas,” he said in his speech when opening the Wisma MPM - Bina Daulah and the MPM’s eighth annual conference yesterday.

Also present was MPM secretarygeneral Datuk Prof Dr Hasan Mad.

Ahmad Zahid also urged the MPM and other bodies not to leave Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak alone in translating the national agenda.

“The Prime Minister cannot be left alone in tackling the various issues directed at him. I will continue to assist him,” he said.

He also reminded the MPM to open its doors to academicians, religious figures and the other professionals in the discussions on drawing up the major agenda.

“We should not limit our activities to those who are within our own cocoon, we should bring them into MPM so that they can act as a ‘check and balance’ mechanism and consider their ideas as well so that there will be inclusiveness in implementing this major agenda,” he said.

Ahmad Zahid said, however, society must realise that the agenda championed by the MPM all this while did not place pressure on or ignore the interests of the other races.

At the event, the Deputy Prime Minister also announced an allocation for rental payment for the MPM building amounting to RM2,800 per month for a period of 10 years. - Bernama