PUTRAJAYA: Do not approach the Malays with threats and fear, but reach to them through knowledge and compelling arguments, said Datuk Seri Amirudin Shari.
The Selangor Menteri Besar and PKR vice-president said the party was faced with accusations that it was too liberal or "not Malay", even at the recently concluded Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (Bersatu) annual general assembly.
"Muhyiddin at the Bersatu assembly said the Malays have lost their power. This is the kind of thing that they would repeat again and again, because to them, this is their mainstay to attract the majority in the country.
"And this is a challenge for us… We should approach the Malays not through threats, fear, but with an open mind, with rationality. Not with propaganda, but knowledge," he said during his winding up speech at the PKR National Congress here, today.
He said being a "Malay leader" meant going down to the ground, and not just attending official events.
"Our Prime Minister (Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim) checks toilets, goes to schools. This is what a Malay leader is.
"Not talking about being Malay but using fear-mongering tactics (to gain Malay support)."
Meanwhile, Amirudin said he believed that Anwar's idea and spirit of "reformasi" (reform) would help PKR survive beyond three terms.
"We can survive not just two or three terms, but even as long as 100 years in Malaysia," he added.