Zaid: Malays won’t end up like Red Indians, but may become ‘criminals, morons’ under ‘gangster’ leaders

KUALA LUMPUR - Malaysia’s dominant Malay community enjoys special political and economic privileges and will not be marginalised like the Native Americans as alleged, Datuk Zaid Ibrahim said today.

Instead, the one-time minister in charge of law said he fears the Malays would become backward if they follow leaders who behave like “gangsters”.

Zaid was weighing in on Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi’s recent view that the country’s biggest demographic group would suffer the same fate as the “Red Indians” if they are divided.

“I am for one am not worried about Malays becoming like the Red Indians; it’s highly unlikely because Malays are in control of issuance of new Identity Cards, are numerically superior, control the government and have special privileges.

“I am, however, worried about them becoming like gangsters and living like members of the Cosa Nostra or Yakuza… there are already a number of warning signs for us to worry about. Look at Umno,” Zaid wrote in his latest blog post.

On Saturday Ahmad Zahid urged the Malays to stick with Umno and assert their position as the dominant power in Malaysia or risk becoming like the natives of developed nations such as the US and New Zealand.

He claimed Malays were now so divided that they faced constant insult and ridicule by those from outside of the community.

But Zaid (right) argued that it was more worrying that the Malays were behaving like gang members under Umno, pointing out that the mafia teaches its members to behave like gangsters, to disregard the law and disrespect public institutions and and instilled fear in public.

He also claimed Umno does not tolerate dissent and would crush its internal critics much like the mafia does, preferring to surround itself with “yes-men”.

“There are no dissenters in a mafia organisation.

“Just as the Mafia will ruthlessly murder a recalcitrant member, Umno will sack anyone who dares to dissent within its ranks; or take any one of us to court for criminal offences,” Zaid said.

The former Umno leader claimed the gangster culture has also crept into the civil service and made the Malays under-developed as they have lost the ability to think for themselves.

“That's why I’m worried about Malays becoming more like the Mafia. At least the Native American Indians remain a community who are proud of their heritage and who live an independent lifestyle.

“If Malays delve deeper into the Mafia culture, they will become criminals and morons who lack the ability to think for themselves,” he said.