When Dr Mahathir Mohamad was formally announced as Pakatan Harapan’s prime minister candidate, it was with the understanding that it was meant to shore up Malay support for the opposition, especially among the rural Malays.

Mahathir, who was prime minister for 22 years until he resigned in 2003, was once known as a Malay rights champion and he continues to enjoy popularity among the demographic.

But the Bersatu chairperson is also known for his sharp criticism of the Malays.

At a talk in Cyberjaya today, he claimed one of the reasons why Malaysia will not become a developed country by 2020 is due to the problem with Malay culture.

“I believe that the Malays’ capabilities are the same as the Europeans and the Japanese, but the problem is the culture.

“We find that we are not so committed, not so hardworking and sometimes we are not so trustworthy.

“We always try to find the easy way out, that is why we are left behind. We like it when there is less work, but high pay.

“It is not because we cannot but because we do not want to, that is the problem,” he said at a forum discussing his brainchild Vision 2020...