KUALA LUMPUR: Umno does not need to prove who is "more Malay" as they are the epitome of the Malay struggle.
Wanita Umno chief Datuk Seri Dr Noraini Ahmad said there have been quarters who slammed Umno, claiming that Umno's cooperation in the unity government was a betrayal of the Malays and Islam.
She said, however, that now was not the time to prove who was more Malay or more Muslim, or who was the champion of Malays or Islam.
"We all recite the same 'syahadah' (declaration of faith). What differs is the approach we take.
"We must realise that the extreme rhetoric of race would only ruin the social fabric of our society," she said in her policy speech at the Wanita Umno delegates' meeting today.
Taking examples from the rise of alt-right groups in the United States and far-right parties across Europe, Noraini said such a situation would only cause division, an increase in hate crimes, and political instability.
Umno, she added, had spent seven decades shaping the history of nation building, but now faced challenges from those who claim to champion the same agenda.
She said while Pas indulged in dreams of an abstract Islamic state, Umno had established concrete Islamic institutions such as banks and universities.
While Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (Bersatu) entertained its own version of the Malay struggle, said Noraini, Umno had elevated the status of the Malays on the global stage.
"In the struggle, the difference is clear. In the economy, Pas is still theorising, Bersatu is still searching, but Umno has long been serving.
"In inter-ethnic relations, Pas isolates, Bersatu confuses, but Umno unites. On the international stage, Pas is isolated, Bersatu is still learning about diplomacy, but Umno has long been respected.
"Umno offers a unique balance, respecting traditions while facing modernisation. Umno's ideologies are not historical fossils, our struggles have never once changed."