It’s a Chinese tsunami, aided by group of power-crazy Malays — Mahathir

PUTRAJAYA: Former Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad said the outcome of the 13th general election showed a ‘Chinese tsunami’, aided by a group of power- crazy Malays.

He said he had mentioned during the election campaign, for example, in Johor, there was the concept of good power-sharing among the Malays, Chinese and Indians all this while.

“But Kit Siang ( DAP advisor Lim Kit Siang) came and brought his ‘Malaysian Malaysia’ concept aimed at creating Chinese hatred towards the Malays; that they (the Malays) purportedly gained everything after independence,” he told a press conference at the Perdana Leadership Foundation building, here, yesterday.

Mahathir said the sentiments spread throughout the country until the Chinese community rejected the ‘ hand of friendship’ of the Malay community, resulting in the ‘Chinese tsunami’ in the GE13.

He was earlier asked to comment on the statement by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak, attributing the defeat of outgoing Johor menteri besar Datuk Abdul Ghani Othman in the contest for the Gelang Patah parliamentary seat mainly to the ‘Chinese tsunami’, which saw the voters’ massive support for the opposition.

Dr Mahathir noted that the Malay community was getting weaker and more divided due to the attitude of some Malays who were hungry for power and positions to the extent of forgetting the community’s basic struggle for its race, religion and country.

“They want to gain power in whatever way. Even if they have to sell their own race to get what they want, they will do it,” he said.

The Malay community, he said, did not understand the real concept of a general election, held for the purpose of forming a government, but many regarded it as a platform to serve their own interest, so much so the community had become disunited.

“They think the general election is for getting positions, salary, job opportunity,...if they become a Yang Berhormat, they can get allowances and other benefits like projects, but forget that it’s about struggling for the people, religion and country — Bernama