SHAH ALAM, Oct 2 — Malays should hold political power in Malaysia in exchange for allowing other communities to thrive in remaining areas, former Selangor mentri besar Tan Sri Muhammad Muhammad Taib claimed today.

In a press conference at his home here, he said that Malays should also support rather than hamper non-Malay development in arenas outside of politics.

"We should allow the best Indians to hold any post, the best Chinese to hold posts, but ‘waddah politik’, let the Malays control,” he said using the Malay term for "political platform”.

"Like the Indian director-general, we must support him,” he said when referring to Customs chief Datuk Subromaniam Tholasy, adding that opposition to the latter’s appointment was "childish”.

The politician better known as Mat Taib also stressed that holding political power was vital for the Malays as it was the only "heirloom” left to the community, after he suggested that the Chinese already controlled businesses.

Muhammad further asserted that the country’s other communities would be happy for the Malays to control local politics.

Mat Taib, who resigned as Selangor MB in 1997 following a currency violation in Australia, rejoined Umno on September 17 after his sojourn with the Opposition.