Still master-slave under 'ketuanan Melayu': Anwar

In a further rejection of the concept of ketuanan Melayu (Malay supremacy), PKR de facto leader Anwar Ibrahim pointed out that the concept cannot refer to anything but a ‘master’ and ‘slave’ relationship.

PKR’s call for the concept to be abandoned has been criticised by Malay rights pressure group Perkasa as well as Mohd Nazri Abdul Aziz, the minister in the Prime Minister’s Department.

Anwar, who is Opposition Leader, told a press conference at Parliament House today that the concept has only “enriched elite Umno Malays”.

“Ketuanan is derived from the word tuan which essentially means’ ‘master’, and the term tuan is only applicable to the Rulers,” said Anwar.

Yesterday, Nazri had said that Malay supremacy was established to protect the sovereignty of the Malay rulers.

However, Anwar argued that the minister’s understanding of this is his own interpretation and that it did not carry any weight within Umno.

Last Sunday, PKR president Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail renewed the call for Malay supremacy to be abandoned, saying the people should instead adopt the Pakatan Rakyat concept of ketuanan rakyat (people’s supremacy).

Anwar refuted the claim that this was a ploy intended to garner non-Malay votes, as well as argued that the PKR call had been “twisted” to mean that the party disrespects the constitution.

“If they want to politicise this issue, whether Umno or Utusan Malaysia, it is their prerogative but I hope they will not cheat or twist the truth to make it seem as if we are less Malay just because we reject the concept. I think their statements are inaccurate and overly harsh.”

“We have explained at the PKR congress and in the Malaysian Economic Agenda that we reject the New Economic Policy because it protects only a segment of society while the poor Malays, Chinese and Indians are still left out.

“So if we truly look into the meaning of tuan in ketuanan Melayu, (it refers to) a person in power, a person who owns, a person in top priority. So if a Melayu is tuan, then what about the others - the Iban, Chinese, Indians?”

Rulers’ positions ‘sacrosanct’

Anwar also said that tuan is a direct reference to the Malay Rulers, who have titles like Yang Dipertuan or Yamtuan to indicate their positions of power.

“That is sacrosanct as far as we are concerned and I think we will stick to that. They (the critics) can choose any interpretation but our view is the understanding of the majority,” said Anwar.

He pointed out that “the ketuanan business has lulled Malays into complacency”.

“They talk about the power of rulers, but the absolute power is with Umno’s ruling elite,” he added.