Those who claimed that he was senile were just threatened by his presence, added the Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (PPBM) chairman.
“But know that this long age has also given me the opportunity to see with my own eyes, the struggles faced by my country in the last 80 years when it was colonised by three different foreign powers.
“The way the country was before and after independence.
“I was colonised in my own country. I felt humiliated, forced to have foreigners as my master,” he said at the official launching of PPBM in Malawati Stadium here last night.
The former prime minister, speaking to thousands present at the event, said the colonial era at one point made him feel as if the Malays were weak and incapable.
So he called for the Malays to wake up and for Umno members to join them in their fight for the race.
“Yes, Malays are weak and forgetful. But awareness can bring unimaginable strength.”