Call for DAP to drop slogan, secular agenda not Barisan's stance, says Zahid

KUALA LUMPUR: The call for DAP to drop its "Malaysian Malaysia" slogan or secular agenda is not the position of Umno or Barisan Nasional, says Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi.

"I listened to the statement carefully and that is the personal opinion of Umno supreme council member Datuk Nur Jazlan Mohamed. This is not the position of Umno and Barisan. We respect all our friends, the component parties of the unity government," he said.

The Barisan chairman said that the coalition and Umno would continue to respect all component parties within the unity government and will only make requests through formal channels.

Ahmad Zahid said this in response to a Facebook post by Nur Jazlan, who urged DAP to drop its "Malaysian Malaysia" slogan from its party constitution to gain Malay support.

"If there is a request (to ask DAP to drop the agenda), it will have to be done through party meetings," Zahid said.

He said this at a press conference at the World Trade Centre here after officiating the Malaysian Indian Muslim Congress (Kimma) general assembly on Saturday (Sept 2).

On Aug 30, Nur Jazlan said the Malays were hesitant to fully support DAP due to its secular state agenda, which "contradicts Islamic and Malay principles".

Nur Jazlan claimed that Malay voters in Selangor and Johor told him that they could not accept DAP’s political stance as they were made in the interest of the Chinese community.

On Friday (Sept 1) night, DAP secretary-general Anthony Loke told reporters in Johor that the party need not drop the secular nation agenda and its slogan 'Malaysian Malaysia' merely to reap support from other ethnic groups.