Sanusi: Malays must earn others’ respect

'Previously, we were stealing chickens; now we're robbing the country.'

SHAH ALAM: The Malays must be worthy of the respect they demand from other races, Umno veteran Sanusi Junid said today.

Recounting the early days of Malaysia’s independence, he said the Chinese had no problem respecting the Malays because they displayed respectable behaviour.

Speaking at a forum organised by Sinar Harian in his honour, Sanusi alleged that the Malays were an unsuccessful people despite their decades-old hold on political power.

“So how can the others respect us?” he said. “If we want the Chinese to respect us, we have to be successful.

“When people ignore us, we get angry. But they have no reason to respect us. Previously we were stealing chickens, but now we are stealing properties and robbing the country.

“The Malays must make other races want to be proud of making us their sons and daughters-in-law and no longer calling us thieves.”

Sanusi also spoke of disunity among the Malays, saying history had shown that they would unite only when they were insulted.

He cited examples by referring to the race riots of 1969 and to the time before independence when the British wanted to force the formation of the so-called Malayan Union.