PUTRAJAYA: The colour red is not just a colour, but it can serve as a message of warning to not ‘touch’ Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (Bersatu).
This was said by its chairman Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad in his winding up speech at the party's annual general assembly which concludes today.
"The red of Bersatu, let it be a warning message, don't touch us, or you will perish. Bersatu is not for us, it is for the Malays and the Bumiputera," Dr Mahathir said.
He reminded that it was not the way of the Malays to deny other races their rights, but Malays also did not like to be denied of their rights.
"There is no point for us to start together, but at the end of the race, we are left behind. We want at the end of our struggle, we can be at par with all races in Malaysia," Dr Mahathir said.
On Bersatu specifically, Dr Mahathir said the party would be the catalyst to a change towards good behaviour and serve as an example to the rest.
"Today, Bersatu is a good example for Malaysia," he said.
Earlier in his speech, Dr Mahathir issued a reminder to party members that what happened with Umno could also happen to Bersatu.
"Look at what happened to Umno. It can happen to Bersatu of we do bad things," he said, adding that members must follow the rules.
He pointed out that there was no point in holding high positions if the party has no foundation and the organisation underneath has eroded.