Mat Sabu slams "tricking" Malay voters on PM race

KUALA LUMPUR – Amanah President Datuk Seri Mohamad Sabu condemned attempts to manipulate racial sentiments regarding the future Prime Minister of Malaysia. He argued that deliberately stoking such anxieties serves no purpose beyond creating division.

"The Constitution clearly states (non-Malays can be Prime Minister)...It was deliberately done to create a perception that the Malays are getting populated by having too many kids, while the Chinese don't want to have children; it was deliberately brought up to trick the minds of the people that Perikatan Nasional (PN) will save the position of the Malays.

"Bringing up this issue now, when Malays remain the majority, only serves to create a negative perception and fuel unnecessary tensions," Mohamad told reporters after officiating the Amanah Youth Convention here today.

Mohamad's comments follow recent statements by DAP veteran Lim Kit Siang and Bersatu Youth Leader Wan Ahmad Fayhsal Wan Ahmad Kamal, both of whom touched upon the issue of the Prime Minister's race.

Lim advocated for the possibility of a non-Malay Prime Minister, while Wan Ahmad Fayhsal proposed limiting the position to Malay-Muslims.

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has since called such proposals "inappropriate and inflammatory."

Mohamad stressed that Amanah's primary mission is to combat the narrative of Malay-Muslim vulnerability in Malaysia.

"This sentiment is factually inaccurate but unfortunately finds traction among both young and old Malays, especially in Malay-majority states," he explained.

He attributed Amanah's recent electoral setbacks in these areas to the effectiveness of this misinformation campaign.

"We suffered a significant defeat.

"However, we have four years to rectify this by directly engaging with the people and clarifying these misconceptions," Mohamad acknowledged.