Saifuddin Nasution: Unity Government National Convention has Pakatan’s attention, not ‘Malay Proclamation’

KUALA LUMPUR, May 12 — Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail said that Pakatan Harapan’s (PH) attention is on this weekend’s Unity Government National Convention rather than former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad’s ‘Malay Proclamation’ and its agenda.

Berita Harian last night reported the PH secretary-general as saying that the unity government was the product of a very stable coalition, and that the aim would be to continue strengthening cooperation among its various member parties.

“Other parties can carry on (with the proclamation) and we will focus on the Unity Government National Convention, which will take place on May 14, with the participation of 19 political parties.

“Never before in the country’s political history has a unity government been made up of 19 political parties. Tunku Abdul Rahman Putra Al-Haj brought together the three largest ethnic parties. Tun Abdul Razak Hussein Al-Haj forged Barisan Nasional and that legacy now continues with the coalition of 19 political parties.

“We are not only complying with the decree of His Majesty who wanted this unity government to be established, but we are also interpreting it as a political coalition that offers political stability,” he was quoted as saying by the news portal.

Saifuddin Nasution, who is also the home minister, said that apart from political stability, which is the focus of the unity government, the economy and the people’s well-being must also be prioritised.

According to Berita Harian, he said that as a coalition representing all states across Malaysia, he refused to pay too much attention to the agenda of the ‘Malay Proclamation’.

The ‘Malay Proclamation’ is a 12-point document which touches on the purported issues faced by the Malays that cause uncertainties over their future.

The proclamation written by Dr Mahathir also claimed that its aim was to unify the Malay community.

“We are an inclusive coalition, representing all in the peninsular as well as Sabah and Sarawak. In fact, our coalition comprises diverse ethnicities,” he was quoted as saying.

The Unity Government National Convention, themed “Madani: Mewajahi Masa Depan Malaysia (Madani: Envisaging Malaysia’s Future)” is set for May 14 at World Trade Centre Kuala Lumpur.