The delegate from Gua Musang, Mohd Syahbuddin Hashim, said Umno had always played the role of the non-Malays’ comrade.
There was no other party that was more tolerant towards other races, he added, citing some past incidences.
“Thailand used to attack Kedah, torturing and killing countless Malays, but now there are Thai residents not only in Kedah, but also in Kelantan,” he said in his speech at the Umno general assembly held at the Putra World Trade Centre here today.
“The heart of the Malays is so big that although King Rajendra Chola from India once attacked us, the Indians can now live here in peace and harmony.
“The heart of the Malays is so big that despite Chinese traders’ betrayal in helping the Portuguese when we were under attack, now they are living in peace and harmony in Malaysia.”
However, according to Mohd Syahbuddin, the betrayals had not only occurred in the past but were taking place even today, led by “chauvinistic Chinese” who had insulted Islam and questioned the rights of the Malays.
To counter this threat, he called upon all BN component parties to avoid being the “enemies from within”, and to work along with Umno to defend the BN government.
“Trust me fellow delegates, once this government falls, even seven generations later we can’t guarantee that power will return to us.”
His sentiment echoed that of several Umno leaders who have made this annual general assembly a platform to warn Malays against what they consider as the party’s number one enemy – the DAP.
Umno President Najib Razak yesterday cautioned his followers that Malay privileges might erode under a DAP administration.
The day before, Umno Youth vice-chief Khairul Azwan Harun said continued support for DAP might see the Chinese losing all the privileges they now enjoyed.