Former PAS Youth chief Muhammad Khalil Abdul Hadi speaks during the Dewan Pemuda at Muktamar 2019 in Gambang, Pahang June 20, 2019. — Picture by Mukhriz Hazim

KUALA LUMPUR, July 6 — Former PAS Youth chief Muhammad Khalil Abdul Hadi called upon Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad to join both PAS and Umno in preserving the future of the Malays.

He said Dr Mahathir’s call encouraging all the Malays to join a single party, specifically Bersatu, is both stale and behind the times.

“I urged Tun Dr Mahathir and all Malays to be together with us in the agenda for the unity of the ummah. Do not let yourselves become vagabonds who will destroy the future and political balance of the Malays,” Khalil said in a Facebook post.

In other things, he appeared to agree with Dr Mahathir, such as the claim that the Malays are now politically fragmented and divided.

“This division has been aggravated by the existence of another Malay political party, leaving too many for them to choose and causing them to be directionless.

“With too many political parties for the Malays, the focus and agenda fragments and only benefits the interests of a select few,” Khalil said.

He also concurred with Dr Mahathir’s assessment that if the Malays are strong and united, then all planning, agendas and focus, especially in the economic sector, individual development and raising living standards can be achieved with excellence.

“After nearly 62 years of independence, the Malays are still left behind, be it economically, in education, or individual development.

“What is being done by the co-operation for the unity of the ummah is not merely to uphold once again their dignity and political power, but to make the Malay agenda the focus so that they can advance and are able to compete domestically and internationally,” Khalil said.

He said PAS and Umno’s aim of starting the unity of the ummah has a greater goal than merely saving cronies and legacies, and that the unity is neither an ideology nor a narrow-minded racial political agenda as some are claiming it to be.

“It is meant to raise the Malays to their appropriate place in line with the Constitution, without leaving out anyone, be it race or religion. It is also meant to preserve the sanctity of Islam as the Federation’s official religion, and the sovereignty of the Malay Rulers who symbolise the nation,” Khalil said.