A senior Sarawak political leader has criticised former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad over his recent call urging Malays to vote only for Malay candidates in the next general election, describing the remarks as “irresponsible” and potentially harmful to national unity.
Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu (PBB) information chief Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah said Mahathir, who led Malaysia for more than two decades, should understand the importance of preserving harmony in the country’s multi-ethnic and multi-religious society.
According to Karim, encouraging voters to support candidates solely based on race is not a progressive approach and could further divide the nation.
“Such remarks are certainly not progressive and could lead to a divided Malaysia. Coming from someone with Mahathir’s experience, they are definitely irresponsible,” he said.
He stressed that politicians should avoid playing on racial or religious sentiments if Malaysia is to remain peaceful, united and economically prosperous.
Karim also said Mahathir should rise above partisan politics and instead serve as a respected statesman whose advice benefits all Malaysians, rather than appealing to racial sentiments.
A long-time critic of race-based politics, Karim urged political leaders to emulate Sarawak’s model of multicultural unity instead of fuelling ethnic and religious divisions.
Last week, Mahathir called on Malay voters to support only Malay candidates at the next general election, regardless of their political party. In a Facebook post, he argued that Malays should remain loyal to fellow Malays, warning that loyalty to political parties over race could result in Malays losing “Tanah Melayu”.
Meanwhile, political analyst Professor James Chin from the University of Tasmania described Mahathir’s remarks as a call for ethnic solidarity.
When asked whether PAS should respond by promoting support for its non-Malay candidates, Chin said the Islamic party would be better off staying out of the debate.
He argued that many non-Malay voters remain sceptical of PAS, claiming they view the party as favouring individuals who are willing to accept PAS’ political dominance, which has affected the credibility of parties such as MCA and Gerakan among non-Malay communities.
PAS president Tan Sri Abdul Hadi Awang has previously maintained that the party welcomes non-Muslims who do not oppose Islamic principles and is prepared to work with non-Muslim political parties and NGOs that are not extremist, despite ideological differences.
Chin also noted that PAS appears to have distanced itself from Mahathir after previously supporting his “Malay umbrella” initiative launched in June 2025 alongside Bersatu.
According to Chin, both Mahathir and PAS ultimately wanted to lead the movement, causing the political initiative to gradually lose momentum.
