Nur Jazlan said the Malays were hesitant to fully support DAP because of its secular state agenda, which “contradicts Islamic and Malay principles”.
He claimed that Malay voters in Selangor and Johor told him that they could not accept DAP’s political stance as they were made in the interest of the Chinese community.
However, they do not have the same views about MCA as the Barisan Nasional component party is not as “extreme”, and also because Umno is the dominant force in the coalition.
“If DAP remains hesitant to make substantial changes like the sacrifices Umno has made today, I expect DAP to continue to be shunned by Malay voters, and Umno will also be rejected by Malays as long as we cooperate with DAP,” he said in a Facebook post.
Nur Jazlan said another challenge DAP faced was PAS’ growing support among Malays, which may lead to a political scenario in which Chinese voters would continue to vote for DAP while Malays shift their allegiance to PAS.
To prevent that from happening, the former Pulai MP said DAP needed to become a moderate party that supported the Chinese community and could also be accepted by Malay voters.
“DAP needs to follow the successful formula of BN, which has proven to effectively champion Malay interests for over 60 years without neglecting the rights of non-Malay citizens.”
Umno suffered one of its worst electoral performances in the recent six state elections, winning only 19 of the 108 state seats it contested, following an equally dismal performance in the 15th general election last November.
This has led to calls for a change in the Umno leadership, particularly for party president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi to step down.
Umno Supreme Council member Isham Jalil also questioned the party’s alliance with DAP following Umno’s dismal performance at the polls.
Meanwhile, Nur Jazlan claimed that Umno has grown weaker over time because after being used as a punching bag by PAS, DAP, PKR and Bersatu, over the years.
“The ongoing propaganda to tarnish Umno’s image has led some Malay voters, especially the younger generation, to be easily influenced, developing negative perceptions of the party,” he added.
Stay current - Follow FMT on WhatsApp, Google news and Telegram