Abdul Ghani Othman

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Dato' Haji Abdul Ghani Bin Othman (born 1946) is the current Menteri Besar of the state of Johor in Malaysia. He has been in office since 1995. Born in Sungai Mati, Ledang, he is a member of the United Malays National Organisation (UMNO).

He created controversy in 2006 when he called for the scraping of the Bangsa Malaysia concept and alleging that Bangsa Malaysia was a "nebulous concept" which overstepped the bounds of the Constitution. "Even if the term Bangsa Malaysia is to be used, it must only be applied in the context of all the peoples of Malaysia with the Malays as the pivotal race," he said.[1]

Ghani insisted that those advocating Bangsa Malaysia were echoing Lee Kuan Yew's call for a Malaysian Malaysia made during the early 1960s when Singapore was a state in Malaysia, even though the campaign had been repudiated by the government.[2]

After the 2006 UMNO Annual General Assembly, Ghani elaborated that his opposition to Bangsa Malaysia and Malaysian Malaysia was because:

“ It is about everything being equal and this does not capture the hearts of Malaysians. Therefore, regardless of whatever name is given, the concept is similar and this is against idea kenegaraan (the idea of nationhood) which we have inherited. ”

Ghani defined his idea kenegaraan as "the idea that has united the Malays, and also the same idea that has given privileges to other races to be citizens, live together and share power and prosperity."[3]

[edit] References

  1. ^ Nambiar, Ravi & Nadzmi, Siti Nurbaiyah (Nov. 6, 2006). "Ghani: Bangsa Malaysia is rojak and unacceptable", p. 10. New Straits Times.
  2. ^ Nambiar, Ravi & Nadzmi, Siti Nurbaiyah (Nov. 7, 2006). "No Bangsa Malaysia in Constitution, says Najib", p. 6. New Straits Times.
  3. ^ Tan, Marsha (Dec. 3, 2006). Ghani on why people cannot accept concept. The Star.
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