KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 26 ― Wanita Umno chief Datuk Seri Shahrizat Abdul Jalil warned the Malays today of an imminent break-up of the country’s dominant ethnic group if they allow their faith in Islam to be subverted, and if they are disunited in their beliefs.

At the Umno general assembly, the leader of the Malay party's women's wing expressed concern that the Malays are beginning to stray from their religious beliefs and are forgetting the need to stay united as an ethnic group.

“If our faith is subverted and if we are split up, we Malays will face destruction,” Shahrizat said.

“If the Malays are no longer united, we will be destroyed,” she added.

The refrain illustrates the observations of political analysts regarding the growing use in Islamist rhetoric to repackage the race-based politics that has blighted the nation for decades.

Today, Shahrizat also told delegates not to question the Malaysian citizenships of those from ethnicities such as the Chinese and Indians as a quid pro quo over the so-called social contract.

“If we don't want them to question our special privileges as the natives of this land, we must also respect them as people who have rights in this country,” said Shahrizat.

The Wanita Umno chief said according to the social contract, Islam was placed as the religion of the federation and the Malay language was made the national language, while the Chinese and the Indians had the right to use their mother tongue and maintain their culture.

“The special position of the Malays is a traditional element that continues to be retained in the Federal Constitution after Malaysia was formed. Malay reserve lands are also protected in the Federal Constitution to ensure the continuity of the Malay race that is left behind economically,” she said.

The annual Umno assembly is set to trigger controversy with a debate on abolishing Chinese vernacular schools for allegedly being hotbeds for racism and anti-establishment sentiments.

The decision has already caused concern among Umno’s Chinese partners in Barisan Nasional, prompting party president and Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak to point out the self-sabotaging nature of such demands.

The 65th Umno General Assembly is themed “Malays Unite!” and will conclude on Saturday.