Unity Govt is confident of getting Malay votes says Asyraf Wajdi
JOHOR BAHRU - "They are confident. We are confident too."
That was the reaction of the Unity Government chief secretary, who is also the Umno secretary-general, Datuk Dr Asyraf Wajdi Dusuki, when commenting on the statement of Perikatan Nasional (PN) Chairman Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin who said that the coalition is confident of getting the support of 80 percent of Malay voters in the upcoming state election.
Asyraf Wajdi said he believes that the Malays are becoming more confident in the struggle of Umno, which has never abandoned its fight for the interests of Malay-Bumiputera, the interests of Islam, and the interests of the Malay Rulers.
"All these things are fundamental in Umno's struggle itself, and if we look at them in the context of today's Unity Government, "So, when we are in the Unity Government, the majority of members of Parliament are Muslim... 76 members of Parliament are Muslims compared to 32, and in the cabinet, 19 ministers are Muslims compared to nine non-Muslims.
"So the impression that the position of Islam and the interests of Bumiputera Malays are threatened is just an accusation. What they know is that if they do not get the support of the Malays and other races in this context, they will easily lose in the next election," he said at a press conference after a walkabout programme at the MARA Education Institution Carnival @ Plaza Larkin on Sunday.
Meanwhile, Asyraf Wajdi, who is also the Chairman of MARA, said the matter can be considered in the context and establishment of MARA itself, which aims to protect the interests of Malays and Bumiputeras, including developing their socioeconomics.
In fact, he said, the establishment of MARA itself focused on education and security.
"All this has a reason why the chairman is the Secretary General of Umno, but the Secretary General of DAP is appointed as the Chairman of MARA.
"So, that didn't happen. What does it mean? The meaning of Umno's struggle in the context of this unity government is to ensure that the Islamic agenda, the agenda of the Malay bumiputera, continues to be maintained in the reality of pluralism and people with multiple religions.
"We cannot go to the PN model because the PN model only looks at the Malays, but the Unity Government model is a continuation of the 1957 Perikatan and the 1974 BN, and today the 19 parties that join under the Unity Government are from various religions, races, Sabah regions, Sarawak, ethnic races, and tribes, but the mainstay of its roots is still Malay Islam.
"Who cares for and preserves it? Of course Umno is at the core of preserving the interests of Malay Islam without us forgetting or abandoning other races or religions," he said.
