KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 3 — A local university that is among organisers of this Sundays’ Kongres Maruah Melayu (Malay Dignity Congress) has denied that it was being used by political parties and insisted that it merely wants to unite the Malays to return the ethnic group to its former glory.
Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris (UPSI) vice-chancellor Prof Datuk Dr Mohamad Shatar Sabran asserted that his university and the three others — Universiti Malaya (UM), Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM) and Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM) — that were co-organising the event were not doing so based on anyone’s political agenda.
“This is not an issue of being manipulated or us being used as a stepping stone, as the role of education institutions is to provide a reminder and UPSI as an education institution has the responsibility to remind the Malays to unite under the education platform,” he was quoted saying to local daily Berita Harian yesterday.
According to Berita Harian, Mohamad Shatar said the Kongres Maruah Melayu event was not racial in nature and not intended to negate the rights of other ethnic groups.
He insisted that it was due to the realisation that Malays were allegedly being weakened by disunity and to urge them to be united again to restore their fading glory.
“This congress is based on the goal of giving a reminder and uniting the Malay, Muslim community.
“History proves that among the formula for the glory of the Melaka Sultanate was due to the strong unity between the Malay community and leaders.
“After 60 years of the country being independent, unity among the Malays has been getting weaker. Therefore, through the organising of this congress, we wish to restore the Malays’ glory,” he was quoted saying.
Saying that the intention was to restore the Malays’ glory on the five platforms of education, politics, economy, religion and culture, he was quoted saying that each of the four universities would be presenting resolutions after discussions on these five platforms.
BH said UM will handle politics, UiTM will handle the economic issue, UPSI education while UPM would focus on culture and religion.
The event’s secretariat chief executive Zainal Kling previously claimed that the it was being held in response to some “non-Malay” quarters alleged challenging and belittling of Malay rights and related issues, but said the discussion of Malay-centric issues would be done in an intellectual manner and not emotional manner at the event.
On September 30, former higher education minister and Umno vice-president Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin questioned why public universities were organising the event, noting that they should be pro-Malaysian in general and focused on developing and expanding knowledge instead of championing Malays and their exclusive interests.
Mohamed Khaled had also suggested that the public universities are being manipulated by Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (Bersatu) politicians.
Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, who is also PPBM chairman, has been touted to have been invited to speak at the event, while PAS had on October 1 confirmed that PAS president Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang will be attending the event following an invitation to attend.
The event which was initially announced to be held this Sunday at the Axiata Arena in Bukit Jalil appears to have been shifted to the Stadium Melawati in Shah Alam.
