Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Nazri Abdul Aziz has challenged the opposition to table a motion to delete the word "Malay" in the Federal Constitution.

Nazri threw the challenge to Lim Kit Siang (DAP - Ipoh Timur) for questioning the government's seriousness in implementing the 1Malaysia concept mooted by Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak.

Lim had claimed that Deputy Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin himself was not supportive of the vision when he declared that he was a Malay first and then only a Malaysian.

"1Malaysia upholds the constitution. If you want to raise the issue, the first thing you should attack is the Malaysian constitution where the word 'Malay' can be found.

"Whatever we do with 1Malaysia, we cannot turn our back on the constitution. But if our Malay MPs in the opposition feel that we should amend the constitution, then go ahead and table a motion," he said.

1Malaysia upholds the constitution

He was winding up the debate on the motion of thanks on the speech of Yang di-Pertuan Agong Tuanku Mizan Zainal Abidin in the Dewan Rakyat today.

Nazri said the 1Malaysia vision was being implemented taking into account the "constraint" in the constitution with regard to the special position of the Malays.

He said it also did not mean that the government would close down vernacular schools in the name of 1Malaysia.

"We have the constitution, and 1Malaysia upholds the constitution," he said.

- Bernama