SHAH ALAM: PAS spiritual adviser Datuk Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat has reassured Malays that the party will continue to protect their interests should it come to power with its Pakatan Rakyat partners in the next general election.
He said neither PAS nor any of its Pakatan partners had pushed aside the rights of the Malays.
“For PAS, Malays need to be prioritised in our agenda because they are the dominant race in the country,” Nik Aziz said in his keynote speech at the opening of a PAS convention here yesterday.
The convention, entitled the National Race Empowerment Convention, is an attempt by PAS to garner Malay support and also to suppress allegations that the party is anti-Malay.
Nik Aziz also lambasted Umno for not upholding Islam or looking after Malay interests.
He claimed Umno’s economic policies had caused an unequal distribution of wealth among the various races in Malaysia.
Nik Aziz said the New Economic Policy (NEP) was used only for Umno’s interest.
“This is Umno’s systematic betrayal to the Indians, Chinese, Ibans, other races and the end result of the NEP was the creation and flourishing of Umno Ketuanan Melayu cronies,” he added.
Pakatan Rakyat has seen a decline in Malay support following several by-elections, which saw Malay votes swing to Barisan Nasional.
The convention came after PAS’ loss in the Tenang by-election.
Meanwhile, PAS vice-president Datuk Mahfuz Omar said the convention was to silence critics who have branded PAS as anti-Malay.
“This convention is organised to convince the Malays and bumiputras that PAS and Pakatan will always defend their rights,” Mahfuz said.
“It was Umno who was responsible for the decrease of Malay rights in the country,” he said.