Malays too can be successful

I am not sure why PERKASA under the leadership of Ibrahim Ali with the support of the past PM of Malaysia Mahathir are claiming that the Malay rights need to be protected at all cause. Are they saying that the Malays are too weak to be successful and they need government interference and aid to be successful?
Perkasa even talked about Malays being threaten in their own homeland and are still weak who need crutches to protect them from "too advance" non-Malays. They even went as far as to pull a dramatic stunt by saying that the non-malays would take over the nation and sidelined the malays if the Malays are not united.Two questions came to my mind;
a) Why does PERKASA think that the Malays were not capable to stand on their own feet? Doesn't this akin Perkasa looking down upon their own races capabilities.
b) What was the UMNO led government doing for the last 50 over years about this disparities? Shouldn't their NEP policies would have made them much stronger and competitive with others who are not so lucky to enjoy any affirmative programs like the Malays.
I know that there are many Malays who are more professional, more progressive and more focused on what is necessary and required to advance the community's economic cause without such warlike and anti-social siege mentality. In the private sector I have seen such individuals who does not need any affirmative action plan to make them successful as they stand tall with non-malays. They are proud of their achievements and rightfully they should be!