PUTRAJAYA: Following the recent wins by Pakatan Harapan in the Johor by-elections, DAP Chairman Lim Guan Eng has expressed the desire for the unity government to gain control over areas currently held by Perikatan Nasional.
During his speech at the DAP convention in Putrajaya on Sunday (Sept 10), Lim also expressed confidence in the unity government’s ability to stay in power for more than one term. He stated, “We can lead Malaysia for another 10 years with our friends from Sabah and Sarawak.”
Referring to the victories in the Pulai parliamentary seat and the Simpang Jeram state seat, Lim highlighted that these wins demonstrated the people’s support for the unity government and Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.
“I want to congratulate Datuk Seri Mohamad Sabu and Amanah for winning with a huge majority,” Lim added. “We maintained our two-thirds majority in Parliament by winning Pulai and also destroyed Perikatan’s confidence by winning Simpang Jeram.”
On September 9, Amanah’s Suhaizan Kayat secured a majority of 18,641 votes to win the Pulai parliamentary seat. Similarly, Amanah’s Nazri Abdul Rahman obtained a 3,514 majority to win Simpang Jeram, surpassing last year’s majority of 2,334 in the Johor state polls.
In a surprising move, Umno President Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi attended the DAP convention, receiving a warm welcome from Lim. “He (Ahmad Zahid) created history because for the first time, he is here as our partner in the DAP national convention,” Lim stated, emphasizing the need for former foes to unite as friends in response to the decree from the Yang di-Pertuan Agong for a unity government to be formed after GE15.
Lim anticipated that Perikatan would attempt to spin their defeat as a victory, citing increased votes. However, he pointed out that the unity government had won the popular vote in the six state elections held last month. “Perikatan once said the six state polls were a referendum towards Anwar’s leadership. But the unity government won 49.5% of the votes compared to Perikatan’s 49.3%,” Lim explained.
In order to maintain a strong position and secure victory in the 16th general election, Lim urged DAP leaders who hold government positions to lead with integrity and abide by the decisions made by the party. “Don’t think that you are bigger than the party because without the party, you won’t be able to hold any government positions,” he cautioned. Lim emphasized the importance of discipline and unity, stating that the party is greater than any individual leader.
Credit: The Star : News Feed
