KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 31 — Former prime minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin today said his political party Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia welcomes the Keluarga Malaysia concept introduced by his successor Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob.

Muhyiddin said his party wishes to enhance the political culture of serving Malaysians at all levels, including those still affected due to the Covid-19 pandemic, in line with the National Day 2021’s theme of Malaysia Prihatin (Malaysia Cares).

"Bersatu also welcomes the Keluarga Malaysia concept that is carried by Prime Minister YAB Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob and describes that approach as being very fitting to preserve the harmony among multireligious, multiethnic and multicultural Malaysians,” the Bersatu president said in a statement.

He also expressed confidence in Ismail Sabri’s Cabinet to steer the country out of the current Covid-19 crisis and towards recovery through an inclusive approach.

He urged all politicians to set aside their differences and to renew the national commitment collectively to continue to focus on the agenda of national development and taking care of the people.

He said continued efforts were needed to strengthen unity among Malaysians in order to drive or be a catalyst for the nation’s future progress in all aspects such as economic, education and social aspects.

In his statement, Muhyiddin did not describe the new federal government under Ismail Sabri’s leadership by any label.

Muhyiddin was the country’s eighth prime minister until his recent resignation on August 16, and the federal government was known as the Perikatan Nasional (PN) administration.

Umno, in which Ismail Sabri is vice-president, had previously withdrawn its support for the PN government prior to Muhyiddin’s resignation.

Ismail Sabri was sworn in as Malaysia’s ninth prime minister on August 21, and in his August 22 maiden speech omitted any mention of what his new administration would be labelled as and instead introduced the Keluarga Malaysia or Malaysian Family concept.

Prior to his speech, Umno and Bersatu leaders had been making public comments on whether the new government would still be called a PN government, but Ismail Sabri’s speech did not touch on such matters.

Ismail Sabri had in his inaugural speech asked all government and Opposition MPs to work together to save the country and help it recover, and offered the Opposition leadership the chance to be part of the National Recovery Council and the Special Committee on Covid-19.

Party leaders of the federal Opposition Pakatan Harapan had on August 25 come to a rare agreement with Ismail Sabri on key matters such as strengthening Parliament’s role, judicial independence, institutional reform and good governance in the context of Keluarga Malaysia.