The Unity Government Convention in Kuala Lumpur today was a political spectacle that is still jarring to behold even after all the political realignments since 2016. DAP leaders spoke on a stage that Umno leaders once used to attack them and shouts of 'reformasi' reverberated in the Dewan Mederka at the World Trade Centre Kuala Lumpur.
The message - repeated throughout the day - was clear: To forgive and forget and put an end to decades of political rivalries while presenting a united front for the people. It was a show for both the public and party members - many of whom were still warming up to the idea of working together with once-entrenched enemies ahead of the six state elections.
PKR secretary-general Saifuddin Nasution Ismail summed it up best, declaring that his party's "Lawan tetap lawan!" (keep fighting on) battle cry can now be changed to "Dulu lawan sekarang kawan!" (once foes, now friends). MCA president Wee Ka Siong and DAP secretary-general Anthony Loke - who were still engaging in a friendly fire two weeks ago - also tried to make amends in a pantun (poem) exchange.
Wee, who spoke first at the convention, said:
Dulu lawan kini kawan,
Dulu kawan kini lawan,
Tak kisah lawan ataupun kawan,
Yang penting hati rakyat perlu ditawan.
Later, Loke in reply had a similar pantun which read:
Dulu lawan kini kawan,
Lawan sampai jadi kawan,
Tak kira kawan atau lawan,
Yang penting Malaysia aman.
But it wasn't all peace and love at the convention.The event ended with all 19 parties making a pledge to better Malaysia - presented in five main points.
High on the list of priorities was to find ways to improve the people's standard of living through offering more opportunities in various sectors; as well as ensuring access to quality education and healthcare.
Further, the parties vowed to improve transparency in administration and plug leakages in spending so that more Malaysians will benefit from government initiatives. At the same time, they pledged to boost economic growth as a catalyst for development, while taking an overall approach to maintain unity among the people.
The unity convention is expected to next be held at the state level. The national convention itself might become an annual fixture - one that may extend beyond this government’s term.
Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi - whom Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim credited for having shaped the country's present - said the Madani government can continue governing past the next general election if they all continue to back the PKR president.
All these commitments, however, will be put to the test if Perikatan Nasional's green wave makes a splash in Selangor, Negeri Sembilan, and Penang - which are led by Harapan - in the upcoming six state elections. - mk
cheers.
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