SHAH ALAM: If the Malay nationalist parties do not defend the Malays and Islam, the country will be secular, says Bersatu Youth chief.

Wan Ahmad Fayhsal Wan Ahmad Kamal, who is also Machang MP said that Bersatu youths must ensure that no member betrays the race and religion.

"Since this Madani government took over, the threats belittling the religion are being done openly in the community.

"If we lose in the courts, we will end up like the secularist Turkiye under Kamal Attaturk," said Wan Ahmad Fayhsal in his closing speech at Bersatu’s sixth annual general meeting at Ideal Convention Centre (IDCC) here Saturday (Nov 25).

He was referring to the current court case of Nik Elin Zurina Abdul Rashid and her daughter Tengku Yasmin Nastasha Tengku Abdul Rahman, who filed a constitutional challenge against 20 provisions under Kelantan’s syariah criminal enactment.

The duo had argued that the power to legislate criminal matters belongs to Parliament, as state assemblies only have the right to enact laws concerning Islamic faith.

Wan Ahmad Fayhsal pointed out that the Malays fighting for the Malays are the opposition front of Perikatan Nasional in the Parliament.

"The party of the present Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, is not a Malay nationalist party.

"The ones who raise the issues of Malay and Islam are from us, the opposition.

"We must be angry with those MPs who betrayed us. We are a force to be reckoned with, and that is why the attempts to weaken us keep coming.

"I warn all party members not to be the stooges of the Madani government.

"Do not challenge us and poke the beehive for the Malay youths who do not fear death if we have to fight for our race and religion," said Wan Ahmad Fayhsal.

The Bersatu AGM, with more than 2,000 delegates, will end today (Nov 25).