KUALA LUMPUR (CNA) – Former Malaysian prime minister Mahathir Mohamad said on Saturday that the Gerakan Tanah Air (GTA) coalition is not against the ethnic Chinese community.
Rather, the coalition’s main mandate is to fight against corrupt Malay-based parties, he was quoted as saying by The Star.
“We have to have a good Malay-based party like GTA to fight UMNO (United Malays National Organisation) because UMNO has turned bad. “We are 100 per cent Malay but we are not anti-Chinese. We are anti-bad Malay (parties),” he said.
He added that once the bad Malay parties have been removed from power, GTA would be able to form a good and credible federal government comprising leaders with integrity.
He urged the Chinese community to back GTA during the November 19 polls. “If we defeat these bad people, we will form a good government that will adhere to the rule of law and treat everyone, regardless of ethnicity, following the Federal Constitution,” said Dr Mahathir.
He said he is confident that with a good government leading the country, Malaysia will once again become an Asian Tiger instead of being known for kleptocracy, according to The Star report.