For the first time in his protracted political career, Dr Mahathir Mohamad had walked through the doors of DAP's headquarters.

And according to a commentary published on Umno Online, this was a symbolic event as it marked Mahathir's official surrender to DAP's “Malaysian Malaysia” agenda, which the 92-year-old former premier vehemently opposed in the past.

Mahathir and DAP's mutual abhorrence is a well-known fact. However, the pair has now forged an alliance with the aim of removing Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak from power.

This has been a bitter pill to swallow for those in Umno, a party which Mahathir spearheaded for more than two decades. Similar grouses also reverberate amongst the grassroots in DAP.

Yesterday, Mahathir, who is now chairperson of Pakatan Harapan, chaired the coalition's presidential meeting at the DAP national headquarters in Kuala Lumpur.

In his commentary, Kamarul Zaman Yusoff said that to the new generation of Malaysians, DAP's “Malaysian Malaysia” concept has its roots in the Malaysian Solidarity Convention of May 9, 1965.

He said a document from this convention mentioned that “a Malaysian Malaysia means that the nation and the state are not identified with the supremacy, well-being and the interests of any one particular community or race.”

Kamarul noted how the likes of party secretary-general Lim Guan Eng and organising secretary Anthony Loke (photo) made statements which echoed the “Malaysian Malaysia” agenda.

“In fact, many do not know that the Malaysian Malaysia concept is continuously indoctrinated into the hearts of DAP members through the lyrics of the party's official song, which among others, states – ‘Bersama kita menuju satu matlamat: Malaysia untuk rakyat Malaysia (Together we strive towards one objective: Malaysia for Malaysians),” he said.

Kamarul also pointed out that in the book “Tun M: Inilah Perjuangan” published last year, Mahathir had voiced his opposition towards the “Malaysian Malaysia” struggle in an exclusive interview with the author Sabaruddin Hussein.

Among others, he quoted Mahathir as stating in the book:

“Orang bukan Melayu asyik menuntut hak persamaan, meminta supaya dimansuhkan hak istimewa orang Melayu. Sedangkan mereka tinggal di negara ini, mendapat kewarganegaraan, juga merupakan satu keistimewaan. Mereka boleh mengamalkan cara hidup mereka sendiri, bahasa sendiri, itu pun satu keistimewaan.”

“Mereka tidak boleh punyai sistem pendidikan sendiri, kita hapuskan sekolah jenis kebangsaan, mereka tidak boleh mengamalkan budaya mereka, malah nama pun perlu ditukar kepada nama Malaysia, sepertimana yang dilakukan di Indonesia dan Thailand, pada masa itu barulah kita boleh mansuhkan hak istimewa orang Melayu.”

(The non-Malays always ask for equal rights, ask for the special position of the Malays to be abolished. While they live in this country, obtain citizenship, this is also a privilege. They can practice their way of life, language, this is also a privilege.

(When they cannot have their own education system, when we abolish vernacular schools, when they cannot practice their cultures, in fact, when their names also have to be changed to Malaysian names like in Indonesia and Thailand, only then, can we abolish the special position of the Malays.)