KUALA LUMPUR: Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad today said he was saddened that indigenous people in their own country are not supposed to have their own gatherings without being accused of being racist.
The premier said this in his latest blog posting entitled 'The Malay Dignity Congress', which was in reference to his recent attendance of a congress by the same name.
He said it was unacceptable that other ethnic groups could have their gatherings to discuss their affairs, but not the Malays.
"It cannot be that while other ethnic groups can have their gatherings to discuss their affairs, the Malays cannot, that their gathering is racist.
"And now there is even a demand that the Malay initiator of the gathering should be sacked for attending," he said in the posting on chedet.cc.
Dr Mahathir said he was surprised that he was advised not to attend the recent Malay Congress.
"Obviously they are concerned over their (the Malays) possible loss of dignity, whatever that might mean.
"As usual there were extreme views but on the whole they were balanced.
"And now of course, I will be labelled a racist for writing this," said Dr Mahathir, adding that he attended the gathering as he is a Malay too.
The congress, held on Oct 6, was attended Pas president Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang, Umno secretary-general Tan Sri Annuar Musa, PKR deputy president Datuk Seri Mohamed Azmin Ali, Parti Amanah Negara president Mohamad Sabu and former ministers Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein and Khairy Jamaluddin.
About 10,000 participants attended the congress, which had since received criticisms from various parties.
When citing the history of non-indigenous societies in other countries, Dr Mahathir said when former colonies of European nations gained independence, many of those countries had discriminated against the non-indigenous people.
"Some had to leave the country and some were violently attacked.
"But not so in this country. The non-indigenous people were accepted as citizens.
"In fact, one million of the non-indigenous people were given citizenship even though they were not qualified."
He said in multiracial Malaysia, ethnicity was recognised as legitimate and proper.
"Other multiracial countries see non-indigenous people identifying themselves with the indigenous citizens almost completely.
"They adopt the language and culture of the indigenous people and break their link with their countries of origin and they even change their names.
"It is a measure of the tolerance of the indigenous people in Malaysia that gatherings which are confined to the different ethnic groups are accepted as normal."
Dr Mahathir said in a multiracial country, it is common for the citizens to retain their identification with their countries of origin even after being in Malaysia and holding its citizenship for three generations.
"They do not want to lose their racial identities. They manifest this ethnic link through their language, culture, schools and ethnic organisations.
"They often hold meetings confined to their ethnic group and sometimes, I would be invited to open these meetings and asked to give keynote speeches,” he said.
KW: Malay Dignity Congress, Dr Mahathir, indigenous, racist, Malays, European nations, attacked, Malaysia, citizenship, language, culture