Unity govt has more significance than 'Malay Proclamation', says Zahid

KOTA KINABALU: Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi has poured cold water on former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad's "Malay Proclamation", saying the present unity government carries more significance.

The Deputy Prime Minister said although ethnicity was a grassroots issue, the bigger Malaysian race and the Malaysia Madani concept must be given priority.

Commenting on the meeting between top PAS leaders with the former premier, the Umno president, said it was more important to put aside political and ethnicity differences for the good of the country.

"I wish (PAS president) Tan Sri Abdul Hadi Awang and Dr Mahathir the 'best of luck' over the meeting," he said to reporters during the Sabah Umno Hari Raya open house here on Thursday (May 4).

He also brought up Dr Mahathir's defeat in Langkawi during GE15, where he lost his deposit, adding not a single candidate from Dr Mahathir's previous Pejuang party won.

"It must be known that although Umno is a Malay and bumiputra party, the unity government has bigger meaning for our country.

"The unity government and Malaysian Madani concept must be supported and given priority," Ahmad Zahid added.

He said the nation had gone through enough political uncertainty with the three different governments in the previous term before the present one.

"We have together formed (the unity government) with Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim with 19 parties in four main political coalitions.

"The government is now stable with 148 MPs supporting it, and that support must be increased," he said.

On claims that several Umno leaders were also involved in the Malay Proclamation, Ahmad Zahid said the party would look into it.

"We will look into this in detail and discuss internally through our political bureau before bringing the matter to the supreme council," he said.

It was reported that several top PAS leaders led by Abdul Hadi had met Dr Mahathir to support his Malay Proclamation aimed at uniting the Malays.