PETALING JAYA: The new generation of young Malay leaders from Muda will prove Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad wrong, says party president Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman.
"We believe that embracing multiracialism will not weaken but instead strengthen us as a country.
"Embracing meritocracy will not 'kill' Malays but build a more resilient generation instead.
"Instead of dividing Malaysians, we should focus on uniting and not look backwards at past historic differences," he said at a press conference here on Tuesday (July 4).
Syed Saddiq was responding to the former premier saying it was unconstitutional to promote a multiracial country as the Federal Constitution never mentioned that Malaysia was multiracial.
"Instead, the Constitution stressed a Malay Malaysia," Dr Mahathir said in a statement on Monday (July 3).
Syed Saddiq said the new generation of Malay leaders from Muda would be a new breed.
"An attack on non-Malays or non-bumiputras is equivalent to an attack against all Malaysians.
"The same goes for attacks against Malays, which is an attack against all Malaysians.
"Our lives, fates and future are interconnected with one another," he said.
He said enough was enough when it came to continuous division or perpetual politics of division.
"We should focus on making Malaysia a great and developed country that all Malaysians can proudly call home.
"The Chinese and Indians here treat Malaysia as their motherland – just as the Malays do.
"You're looking at second, third and fourth generations who were born here, lived here, studied, worked here and will most likely shut their eyes for the last time in this blessed land," he said.