PETALING JAYA, 30 April 2025 – Former Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad has asserted that unity among the Malays will only be achieved when they are faced with a common threat that endangers the collective interest and position of the Malay race as a whole.
He referred to the strong opposition by the Malays against the formation of the Malayan Union in 1946 as an example of how a major threat was able to unite the entire Malay community, regardless of ideology or regional differences.
“The Malays originally lived in small, separately governed states and were never truly united. But when the British proposed the Malayan Union, there arose a newfound awareness to rise and defend their rights and dignity,” he said.
Dr Mahathir also reminded that before the resistance against the Malayan Union emerged, there was no significant protest when the British ceded four Malay territories – Patani, Singgora, Menara, and Yala – to Thailand in 1909. These territories remain part of southern Thailand today.
“There was no major outcry then, even though those regions had strong historical and cultural Malay roots,” he added.
According to him, the current division among the Malays stems from the existence of too many political parties, each pushing its own agenda without focusing on a collective national goal.
“We cannot unite if every party has its own agenda. Political parties only lead to a scramble for power, not genuine unity. In the end, only a few individuals gain power, but the Malays remain divided,” he stressed.
Dr Mahathir expressed disappointment that the old adage, “united we stand, divided we fall,” no longer serves as a guiding principle in the Malay struggle.
In his most forceful statement, Dr Mahathir warned: “If the Malays fall, then their political parties will fall too. Division not only weakens the race but also destroys the political institutions they belong to. If we truly want to safeguard the future of the Malay race, then Malays must put aside political differences and unite under one common goal.”