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KUALA LUMPUR: There is a future in this country for every Malaysian, said Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi. The Umno president said the party does not engage in duplicity.

“We are not makhluk dua alam (amphibian or semi-terrestrial creatures).
“We do not change our tune to suit the occasion or the audience.
“We are ready to seek intelligent resolutions and win-win solutions when dealing with sensitive issues relating to race and religion,” he said.

However, for these issues to be addressed effectively, they should be discussed behind closed doors, Abdullah said in his presidential address at the Umno general assembly on Wednesday.

The Prime Minister said the harmony among the various communities and religions in the country was not an “optional luxury” but a necessity.
“We have no other choice. Fifty years ago, our independence movement was successful because of the wisdom of Tunku Abdul Rahman and his colleagues who introduced the concept of power sharing,” he said.

He added that being independent for 50 years meant that those born and raised in Malaysia, know only Malaysia as their homeland.

“The time for championing parochial interests is over. Issues must be addressed on the basis of the interests of the nation and the Malaysian people as a whole,” he added.

Abdullah stressed that basic matters, such as that relating to the sanctity of religion, beliefs and practices, Malay interests and the social contract among the communities are sacred and should not be raised.
“Similarly, the basic issues that were agreed upon at the time the Federal Constitution was drafted are non-negotiable,” he added.

Abdullah said that the National Economic Policy (NEP) was never intended for anyone to rob another’s rights. “Although it has been 37 years since the introduction of the NEP, we have not made the Malays rich by seizing the wealth of the non-Malays. “The list of the richest individuals in Malaysia is still led by non-Malays,” he added.

He believed the country would not achieve true peace and harmony if there were still large numbers of poor people. “Poverty can cause political instability, street demonstrations, high crime rates and serious social problems. “Poverty eradication programmes are for all – irrespective of race or religion,” he added.

Defending the act of Umno Youth head Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein of unsheathing and kissing the keris at the Youth assembly, Abdullah said it was befitting Malay culture and heritage.

Yet, he lamented, the significance was twisted by some to spread fear among non-Malays and smeared the party’s image at home and abroad.
“On behalf of Umno’s leaders and members, I give an assurance that Umno will never breach the spirit of understanding that had been agreed to with other communities at the time of Merdeka.

Clearly it was a speech to rally the party members behind him, to tell the party partners in the Barisan Nasional to stop griping over the contents of the "social contract - they are non-negotiable - and to tell the rest of Malaysians of the achievements and aspirations of the nation.

The ultimate purpose of Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi’s speech at the opening of the Umno general assembly on Wednesday is obvious - the general election. The Umno-led BN coalition is going back to the people for a fresh mandate soon, maybe very soon.

As this is Abdullah’s fourth address to the annual assembly since taking over as prime minister towards the end of 2003, he spoke more confidently, raising his voice sometimes for impact and even pausing at strategic places to acknowledge the applause.

But nowhere was the applause more thunderous than when he spoke almost in defence of the few who expressed sentiments which touched on communal sensitivities at the last assembly -- the few who were scolded by the party after demonstration of unhappiness by the other BN parties.

It was a strategic turn-around. He blamed it on the live-telecast which allowed those outside the assembly to view the Malay political rhetoric and said that even so, only a few touched on communal sensitivities.

The Dewan Merdeka almost came down and there were shouts of "hidup Pak Lah" when he said: "I believe that similar extremist sentiments are voiced by members of political parties that represent other communities."

Similar response met his remarks about the keris. "The act of unsheathing and kissing the keris is part of our cultural heritage, but its meaning has been twisted to spread fear among the non-Malays."

He said the New Economic Policy (NEP) was being continued to help develop professional classes among the Malays and eradicate poverty among Malaysians, regardless of race, and it was never intended to make the Malays rich by seizing the wealth of the non-Malays.

By speaking out on these issues -- the keris, Malay rights, the strengthening of Islam and the extension of the NEP, issues that were critically debated after last year’s assembly by the non-malays including leaders of BN component parties -- and saying that they were non-negotiable, Abdullah bowled the delegates over.

And unlike last year, they gave him a standing ovation.

As a way to unruffle the feathers of BN partners he said: "Umno does not engage in duplicity. We do not change our tune to suit the occasion or the audience.

We are ready to seek intelligent resolutions and win-win outcomes when dealing with sensitive issues relating to race and religion."

On these issues, it is better that they are discussed behind closed doors and BN parties should not allow themselves to be dragged into public discussions of them by the opposition parties.

He said as parties that control the government and exercise executive power, BN component parties should be strong and defend what had been agreed to fifty years ago and "we should never allow ourselves to sink" to the level of the opposition.

Despite so much public debate over issues of religion and race, the keris, the contents of the Merdeka social contract and the NEP relations between BN component parties have not been affected much, he said.

It was as if he was saying: "Well this bodes well for the coalition. There is so much to do. But first let’s go out and win elections."

To win the support of the Malays outside of Umno, Abdullah recalled the Melaka sultanate -- which was a great Malay empire but had lasted only a hundred years, after which the Malays were colonised for about 500 years.

He said the Malays were in control of their destiny now but it should not be just for a hundred years but for a long time to come.

The prime minister talked at length about the various growth corridors and reiterated that their focus would be the eradication of poverty in the rural areas and to bring the rural Malay standard of living close to that of those in the urban areas.

While there is freedom of worship in this country as enshrined in the Federal Constitution, which provides that Islam is the religion of the federation, he said Umno was committed to strengthening Islam and will not apologise for doing so.

And by way of addressing some of the concerns of non-Muslims, Abdullah said, "let us in Umno, show exemplary behaviour by respecting the followers of other religions and their needs."

What does the Malaysian PM mean when he addressed UMNO with a concept very close to the concept that was toyed many years ago by politicians from Singapore before the breakaway.

Kebau, could you explain why it's a $64 question? million?

Monday, May 15, 2006
(Bernama) -- The internationalisation of Malays must begin in their own country where they must succeed before aspiring to take on the world, said former Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad.

He said there was no point for them to venture abroad without a proven track record as nobody would want to listen to them.

Once the Malays achieved success for themselves and their country, the foreigners would more readily accept them as the voice of people from a backward country carried no weight in the world, he said in his keynote address to a colloquium on the "Internationalisation of Malays" attended by more than 700 people here.

The two-day colloquium, which began yesterday, was organised by the international relations and non-governmental organisations bureau of Umno Youth.

To succeed, Dr Mahathir said the Malays must master knowledge and all the skills and competencies that the developed races in the world possessed.

They would also need to have a good attitude and ethical values so as to win the respect of other people, he added.

Dr Mahathir said the level of success he painted for the Malays was not a pipe dream and could be achieved if they believed in themselves, and that was the reason he coined the slogan "Malaysia Boleh" during his premiership to spur them on.

"We can, but to do it we have to learn, to master knowledge," he said.

He cited the situation in some universities where 70 per cent of the students comprised women and expressed concern that young men were no longer willing to learn, which was a loss to the nation.

On the other hand, he said, there were Malays who excelled such as Datuk Azhar Mansor who sailed solo around the globe and Datuk Abdul Malik Maidin who swam the English Channel which proved that Malays were people on par with those in more developed countries.

Malaysians also built the Petronas Twin Towers and the F1 Racing Circuit which put the country on the world map, and its contractors were awarded contracts to build highways and power stations in foreign countries.

"Our successes enable the country to achieve progress and development. When the country is developed and becomes well-known, the internationalisation of Malays will not be a problem," he said.