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

KUALA LUMPUR: According to Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, the call for DAP to abandon its “Malaysian Malaysia” slogan or secular agenda does not represent the position of Umno or Barisan Nasional. He clarified that the statement made by Umno supreme council member Datuk Nur Jazlan Mohamed was his personal opinion and not the stand of the party or the coalition. Zahid emphasized that the unity government and Umno will respect all component parties and will convey their requests through formal channels.

Responding to Nur Jazlan’s Facebook post, Zahid stated that if there is a request to ask DAP to drop its agenda, it will need to be done through party meetings. This statement was made during a press conference at the World Trade Centre in Kuala Lumpur where Zahid attended the general assembly of the Malaysian Indian Muslim Congress (Kimma) on Saturday (Sept 2).

In an earlier statement on Aug 30, Nur Jazlan expressed that Malays were hesitant to fully support DAP due to its secular state agenda, which he believed contradicted Islamic and Malay principles. Nur Jazlan also mentioned that Malay voters in Selangor and Johor had expressed their disapproval of DAP’s political stance, as they believed it was made to serve the interests of the Chinese community.

In response to these remarks, DAP secretary-general Anthony Loke stated on Friday (Sept 1) night in Johor that the party does not need to abandon its secular nation agenda and its slogan “Malaysian Malaysia” just to gain support from other ethnic groups.