KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 10 — Malaysia must resist attempts by any race to claim all the country’s wealth as this would destroy the nation, Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad said today.
The former prime minister cited the example of the founding fathers of Malaysia who were of a multiracial backgrounds and their decision to equally rule Malaysia, instead of having one race dominate.
“So if we forget and say ‘we are strong enough we will take this country for ourselves,’ believe me it will destroy this country.
“Had any one race demanded 100 per cent of the wealth and the power in this country, the country would be unstable, it would not grow,” he said during a press conference at the Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman Sungai Long campus.
He added that sharing the country’s wealth equally, ignoring racial divide, will bring about lasting, long-term effects to the benefit of Malaysia.
“If we decide to share the cake, your slice may be small at first, but your slice will grow and grow and become bigger than the cake in the beginning.
“Because we accepted the principle of sharing, even after 1969, we saw stability and because of the stability this country grew and grew,” he said, referencing the racial riots on May 13, 1969.
He went on to encourage future leaders to continuously “share” the wealth and power in the country to ensure that future generations had a better Malaysia to live in.
