Mahathir rejects blame over Malay split, says divisions were inevitable

SHAH ALAM – Former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad rejects claims that he is responsible for divisions among Malays, arguing that the split would have happened regardless of his political decisions.

In a statement shared on Facebook, Dr Mahathir said his departure from Umno and the formation of Bersatu were intended to unite Malays under a single platform, especially for those disillusioned with Umno’s direction at the time.

However, he said many Umno members chose to remain, limiting Bersatu’s ability to replace Umno as the main party representing Malay interests, religion and the nation.

“As a result, Bersatu was unable to take over Umno’s role. In the 14th General Election, Bersatu only secured 13 seats.

“This situation led to divisions among Malays as support for Umno continued,” he said in a post on Monday.

Dr Mahathir further claimed that Umno had shifted from its original nationalist struggle to one focused on wealth, yet many members stayed on despite the change.

He added that although some left Umno, not all joined Bersatu, contributing further to fragmentation within the Malay community.

“If the majority had joined Bersatu, the division would not have occurred.

“Even if Bersatu had not been formed, divisions would still have emerged due to the existence of other parties.

“By joining these different parties, Malays continued to be divided,” he said.

Reflecting on history, Dr Mahathir stressed that Umno’s strength during the fight against colonial rule stemmed from unity rather than the party’s name itself.

He noted that unity remains the key factor in strengthening the Malay community today, adding that efforts such as forming a broad coalition or “big umbrella” were aimed at bringing Malays together under one organisation to regain political strength.