Syed Zainal, former CEO of Proton and executive director of Perodua, said some in the Malay community retained a “mentality of waiting for aid”, an attitude that must be replaced with self-initiative.

Speaking at the Musyawarah Nasional roundtable on Malay issues, Syed Zainal said Malays must be brave. “Go for whatever you want. Don’t wait, my father taught me this,” he said.

Syed Zainal, who is currently non-executive chairman of Dagang NeXchange Bhd, said he believed that Malays do not seek mere “freebies” but fair opportunities to compete and succeed.

He also said the Malays should not continue blaming external systems alone for their economic struggles without also confronting the community’s own weaknesses and shortcomings.

“If we say we are uneasy (about the Malays’ lack of economic power), I feel it’s incomplete if we don’t also reflect on ourselves. We must recognise that we too have weaknesses. Reflection is very important before moving forward,” said Syed Zainal.

‘Minority mindset’ among Malays

Separately, political analyst Zainal Abidin Sanusi of the International Islamic University Malaysia said much of the national political discourse does not reflect actual concerns felt by Malays at the grassroots level.

He said that not everything that “goes viral” on social media truly represents sentiments on the ground.

Zainal also said the Malays often approached challenges with what he described as a “minority mindset” despite making up the majority group in Malaysia.

“We clearly know the special position of the Malays, the Malay language, and the Malay rulers in the country, but many of us behave apologetically (in these matters),” he said. “The Malays are the majority but we think, discuss and respond to issues with a minority mindset.”

The roundtable was opened by deputy prime minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi and brought together politicians, academics and industry figures to discuss the direction of the Malay community amid concerns over the economy, leadership and identity.