Once again, political cooperation between Malay-based parties has been framed as a necessity to safeguard Malay political power. What are we, as Malays, actually uniting for? Throughout both election campaigns, I heard far more discussion about preserving Malay political dominance than about improving the lives of ordinary Malays. If “Malay unity” simply means rallying behind whoever claims to represent Malays, regardless of their integrity or performance, then it ceases to be a movement for Malay empowerment. The rhetoric of Malay unity also overlooks an important reality: Malays are not a monolith.