Tun Mahathir is not fighting for the Malay cause any more - Rais

UMNO veteran Tan Sri Dr Rais Yatim describes the cause fought by former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad as more of a personal cause now, rather than for the Malays.

"In the past, he (Tun Mahathir) had the confidence and patience to rebuild UMNO and the Malays, but now, the political cause he fought for is not for the Malays any more, not even for BN (Barisan Nasional).

"He has made it so personal, which of course linked to the sacking of (his son) Datuk Seri Muhkriz in Kedah," Rais told reporters here today after attending the 'Santapan Minda' programme organised by Yayasan Budi and the BN Information Bureau of the Jelebu Parliamentary constituency.

Rais was commenting on the People's Congress held on Sunday in Shah Alam, Selangor, which was also attended by Dr Mahathir and former Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin.

Commenting further, Rais, who is also the Social and Cultural Affairs Advisor to the Government, said he was not interested to join or support the opposition and other parties in their attempt to oust Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak as prime minister.

In another development, Rais called on UMNO and BN to continue the efforts to win the hearts and minds of the younger generation by making optimal use of the social media in their delivery system.

"The challenge that awaits us in the 14th general election is not small because the younger generation in the 21-40 age group numbered more than 60 per cent. So the efforts (to win them) must be intensified.

"I see these efforts as very challenging, but as quickly as possible, we have to improve our delivery system and our effectiveness," he said, adding that the BN component parties must also work hard to win the voters.

Rais stressed that if the people saw the government as being sincere, productive, helpful in its efforts to improve their livelihood, there was no reason they would reject it.