He said they do not understand the “Malay Proclamation” because they have little knowledge about the history of past struggles.

“The youth are not following the history and struggles of the Malays hence they don’t understand the ‘Malay Proclamation’,” he said after a town hall session today on the proclamation, which seeks to unite the Malay community across political divisions.

He said young people could believe “I’m okay” now only because of the sacrifices of those who took care of their interests in the past.

However, if the young did not take any action now, “then the future generation will struggle”, he said.

Earlier this week, Mahathir had discussions with Perikatan Nasional chairman and Bersatu president Muhyiddin Yassin on the proclamation. Several Bersatu leaders and PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang have signed the proclamation in their personal capacities.