‘Protection of Mara will continue’
SUBANG JAYA: Majlis Amanah Rakyat, or Mara, will continue to be upheld and protected for as long as Umno and Barisan Nasional exist, says Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak.
He gave his pledge that the attempt to “bury” Mara, other Bumiputera agencies and the Malay community would not become reality.
“The government will ensure that Mara continues to develop and remain the pride of the Bumiputera, based on four reasons.
“First, the agency is a part of me as it was founded by my late father, Allahyarham Tun Abdul Razak Hussein.
“It is written clearly (in Umno’s constitution) that the rights of the Bumiputeras and Malays will always be upheld.
“Mara is an important platform and body to realise aspirations of the Bumiputeras and Malays.
“Mara is the best instrument to empower the Bumiputera economic agenda, apart from serving as the bedrock of Umno and BN’s politics.
“The Malay and Bumiputera agenda is a national agenda, (including) the strengthening of their economic (involvement).
“Millions of anak-anak Mara (children of Mara or those who benefited from its education and training programmes) nationwide now hold important positions.
“They are the political base for Umno and BN,” Najib said to cheers from a 7,000-strong crowd comprising of graduates, students and trainees from Mara institutions.
He was speaking at the launch of the first Himpunan Saya Anak Mara gathering at Universiti Kuala Lumpur’s Malaysian Institute of Aviation Technology yesterday.
The gathering was attended by alumni and students of Maralinked institutes of higher learning, such as Kolej Profesional Mara.
Present were Mara chairman Datuk Dr Awang Adek Hussin, its director-general, Datuk Azhar Abdul Manaf, Malaysia Aviation Group chairman Tan Sri Md Nor Yusof, its chief executive officer, Captain Izham Ismail, and UniKL chairman Datuk Seri Dr Adham Baba.
Najib warned those present that Mara’s existence was threatened by the opposition, which had voiced out a ‘Malaysian Malaysia’ agenda should it wrest power in the 14th General Election (GE14).