JOHOR BARU, July 5 — Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad today said that Umno’s fall, especially in its once stronghold Johor, must be made a lesson for Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (Bersatu) members to ensure that Malay political power remains strong.
“This should be a lesson to all of us. Even if we are leading a strong party, but if we practise discrepancies and don’t stick to the party’s struggle, people will reject it.
“This is what happened when Johor was once a stronghold of Umno, but I see that it has now become a stronghold of Bersatu,” said the party chairman at the Johor state-level Bersatu Hari Raya Aidilfitri open house in the Dewan Serbaguna Johor Jaya in Jalan Dedap 22, Johor Jaya here today.
Also present at the event was Bersatu secretary-general Marzuki Yahya, its deputy president Datuk Seri Mukhriz Mahathir, Johor Bersatu chief Mazlan Bujang and party supreme council member Maszlee Malik.
However, Bersatu president Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, who is a Johorean homself, and Johor Mentri Besar Datuk Dr Sahruddin Jamal, who is an ordinary state Bersatu member without any post, were absent from the event.
Dr Mahathir explained that in the past, there was only one dominant Malay party which is Umno. But due to greed in vying for positions within Umno, the Malays today are split into six political parties.
“It’s not the 60 per cent Malay majority anymore but every (of the six) parties has only about 10 per cent,” he said.
