Comparing this to how the Chinese had turned to DAP to replace parties like Gerakan and MCA, Adam said the Malays previously only had two other options: PKR and PAS.
However, he said PKR had never been a party that was fully dominated by the Malays, neither had it fought for the Malay agenda.
“Their de facto leader, Anwar Ibrahim, back then decided to put forward a rhetoric that was about the people’s supremacy, not Malay supremacy or Malay rights.
“However, the Malay community was not comfortable with this new narrative as all the while, those who claimed to represent the Malay community had always championed Malay rights,” he said at a forum titled “GE14: Will the Malay Ground Shift” held at the Penang Institute here last night.
According to Adam, those who dared to change in spite of the new narrative were those who were directly affected by the economic situation.
He said that particular group did not care about Malay rights but was more concerned with how the government would fix the economy.
“They knew that the same problems affecting the Chinese also affected the Malays. It went to show that the closer they were to the economy, the closer they were to the problem.”
After the 13th general election, Adam said, the opposition had continued its efforts to change the attitudes of the Malays with PAS given a bigger role in Pakatan Rakyat.
However, PAS had been unable to carry the new narrative as the Islamist party would have had to abandon the championing of Islamic and Malay rights, he said.
“They were soon replaced by a more progressive Amanah, but even then the Malays were still uncomfortable.”
But with PPBM now in the Pakatan Harapan fold, Adam said, the opposition pact had no choice but to bring back the old narrative it had been trying to do away with.
“PPBM, a Malay-majority party, has now become the replacement. With them, PH is now more confident to face the Malay crowd for the very first time.
“The Malays will have a party that will always be able to speak to them in their own native language, their own narrative, and be more comfortable with them.”