Speaking at the Umno general assembly this morning, Kemelah assemblyman Ayub Rahmat said it was time for Umno leaders to realise that the Malays were not indebted to them, but that it was the other way round.
“Umno must thank the Malays for their support all this while, and stop reminiscing on what it has given to the Malays.
“The time has come for Umno to stop asking for the Malays to pledge their loyalty to the party.
“Don’t forget, Umno will not be in a place of power if not for the Malays,” he said.
Ayub urged the party to renew and enhance its contribution to the Malays under the banner, “A New Deal for the Malays”.
He pointed out that the rights of the Malays, contrary to what party leaders claimed, was not the biggest challenge the race was facing.
“It is their ability to remain competitive and succeed in the 21st century that the party should be concerned with,” he said.
There are six issues that the new deal has to address.
These include making Malays more resilient economically, helping them improve their quality of life, providing them with quality education, making Malaysia a more Islamic but moderate country, and ensuring the country is governed with the best practices.
Ayub said these should be part of Umno’s election promises to show that it was not just demanding blind loyalty based on past contributions, but that it was also fighting for the future wellbeing of all Malays.
His speech today came after Umno acting deputy president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi told delegates on Tuesday that Allah had chosen Najib Razak to be party president, and hence, all members should pledge their loyalty to him and the ruling party.