KULIM, Dec 6 — The unity government of Pakatan Harapan, Barisan Nasional, Gabungan Parti Sarawak, and Gabungan Rakyat Sabah is the way forward for the country to reject racial and religious politics that could lead the country to ruin, PKR deputy president Rafizi Ramli said today.

Speaking to a packed field in Kampung Tunku Putra here in a mega ceramah, he said there was a reason why PH did not obtain an easy win to form the government immediately after the general election.

He said if PH was to win easily and form the government on its own, it could give rise to racial hatred.

“It will be like what happened in 2018, everything that we do will be seen through a racial lens,” he said.

He said the government will be seen as a “Chinese-led” or “DAP-led” government while the Opposition will continue to harp on racial politics to further divide the people.

“Even in the first 24 hours, 48 hours, 72 hours after the general election, the racial sentiments and racial hatred were the highest I’ve ever seen,” he said.

He said this racial hatred was more dangerous than any differences between PH and BN.

He said it may be peculiar and even uncomfortable for PH to be working with BN but it has to be done to defend the multiracial and harmonious values of the country.

“This is why this unity government has to be formed so that there is no racial divide and to stop the rise of dangerous racial sentiments,” he said.

Barisan Nasional (BN) chairman and newly appointed Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi also took the stage to state that PH is the best partner to form a unity government.

“BN and Umno have learned from our mistakes,” he said.

He went on to speak in Mandarin to stress that he may be a Malay but he is also Malaysian and everyone, no matter their race, are Malaysian.

“We must hold our own respective faith and respect each other’s religion,” he said.

He said now is not the time to look back and talk about the past, especially on the political battles between PH and BN previously.

“It is our fate to work with PH in government and this is the end of the existence of BN and Umno as you know,” he said.

He hoped that the unity government will continue to work together not only for the next five years but beyond that.

“I hope this is not only for five years, not 10 years, but I hope it will be a grand coalition to form a glorious government to lead the country forward,” he said.

He called on voters in Padang Serai to vote for the PH candidate Mohamad Sofee Razak.

The Padang Serai election was deferred to December 7 after PH candidate M. Karupaiya died three days before the general election on November 19.

There will be a three-cornered fight between PH, Perikatan Nasional’s Datuk Azman Nasrudin and an independent candidate, Ananda AK.