KUCHING, July 5 — The Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) government will not work with former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad following his recent remarks against promoting a multiracial Malaysia, said Datuk Seri Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah.
The Youth, Sports and Entrepreneur Development Minister ruled out the possibility and said Dr Mahathir, who had retired after helming the nation for a long time, should not return to politics but instead let other leaders run the nation smoothly.
“When he said that Malaysia is not a multiracial country, that you cannot promote Malaysia as a multiracial party since it is (supposedly) against the (Federal) Constitution, what kind of crazy opinion is that?
“That’s why I say how to work together with somebody like that. Leave politics to those whom you have groomed up to lead the nation. That’s how it should be. You don’t come back and start going against those you have groomed up.
“It reflects on him, coming up with that statement. So how to work together with somebody like that, when that kind of statement doesn’t really augur well with the majority of the nation,” he told a press conference to announce an upcoming badminton tournament.
Abdul Karim, who is Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu (PBB) vice president, said it puzzled him that Dr Mahathir had come with such a statement.
“How would the non-Malays feel? I am a Malay, but sometimes I feel when you say that you cannot promote Malaysia as a multiracial party, what crazy statement are you giving? And this coming from somebody who has been a prime minister twice,” he added.
On July 3, Dr Mahathir had claimed that promoting Malaysia as a multiracial country is against the Federal Constitution.
Among those who have slammed Dr Mahathir for the remark was Tuaran MP Datuk Seri Wilfred Madius Tangau, who said the statement aimed to divide Malaysians.
The former United Progressive Kinabalu Organisation (Upko) president urged Malaysians to unite and stressed Dr Mahathir’s anti-multiculturalism stance was particularly insulting to Sabahans and Sarawakians. — Borneo Post Online
