KUALA LUMPUR, March 27 — Former two-time prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad today claimed that Malays "lost everything” after he resigned from office following the collapse of the Pakatan Harapan (PH) government in February 2020.

The 97-year-old said he sought to hold a "Malay Proclamation” gathering to rally the community into realising the issues they are facing.

"I am complaining now because the Malays lost everything after I resigned as prime minister.

"Indeed, the Malays became so poor after I was no longer the prime minister,” he said on Facebook.

He claimed the Malay Proclamation gathering was obstructed by certain other parties and was a betrayal of a promise in the Federal Constitution.

He claimed Umno no longer holds on to the goals of its establishment as it has not protested against the obstruction of the Malay Proclamation.

"That is why other parties are needed to protect the rights of the Malays and other Bumiputera,” he added.

He said that these are all reasons for Malays to oppose the government led by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.

Last Monday, Dr Mahathir claimed the Anwar administration to be biased against the Malays by discouraging talks about race and religion.

He appeared to defend the Malay Proclamation gathering which had been planned for the day before but was cancelled due to inability to secure a venue three times.

He further claimed that the cancelled Malay Proclamation event would have criticised corrupt Malay leaders instead of non-Malays.

The organiser called off the gathering after failing to find a venue.

On March 19, Dr Mahathir alleged that Anwar was behind the cancellation of the bookings of the venues that were to hold the Malay Proclamation gathering even as he acknowledged that the organiser could not prove the government’s involvement.

On March 17, Anwar issued a stern warning against any attempts to instigate or escalate religious or racial tension in Malaysia, adding that any irresponsible statements would not be tolerated as Malaysia must remain peaceful and be developed together by the Malays, the Chinese, the Indians and other ethnicities like the Dayaks, Ibans and Melanaus, the Kadazan-Dusun and others,” he said in a post-Cabinet press conference in Putrajaya.

The police and the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission also issued separate warnings against incitement on racial and religious grounds.

However, no authority, including the prime minister, has so far said the Malay Proclamation gathering should not be held.