KUALA LUMPUR, July 15 — Former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad opined that it is not Malays who are the kingmakers during an election in areas where they are the majority, but Chinese and Indians, Sinar Harian reported.

The Parti Pejuang Tanah Air (Pejuang) chairman said that the said situation had happened in 1969, when he contested against a PAS candidate, in a predominantly Malay area.

"At that time, the area had 35,000 voters and the ones who contested there were a PAS candidate and I.

"Rightfully, I should have won because the Malays supported me, but the Malays there were split down the middle. Half to PAS, half to me but the ones who decided the winner were the Chinese. The Chinese at that time did not like me, so they gave their votes to PAS,” he was reported as saying in the What’s Going On Malaysia online show hosted by comedian Harith Iskander.

Dr Mahathir, who is Langkawi MP, reportedly predicted that the same situation would reoccur in the upcoming national polls.

"It is the rest who decide, and at the next election, it will be like that too. Due to Malays fighting among themselves, it is the Indians and Chinese that will decide who will win,” he added.