LETTER | At the recent Federal Territory BN Convention, Deputy Prime Minister and BN chairperson Ahmad Zahid Hamidi revealed an attempt by some opposition leaders to lure him and the coalition into abandoning the incumbent government and forming a new coalition government, with him being offered the post of prime minister.
Zahid rejected the attempt and was resolute in reaffirming his commitment to continue serving the current federal coalition government.
He also vowed that he would never betray his allies in the unity government, despite claiming to have himself been betrayed in the past.
Since the establishment of the PKR-led federal coalition government under Anwar Ibrahim in November 2022, the opposition party leaders have proven time and time again to be unable to accept the fact that they have lost the opportunity to form a legitimate government.
Instead, they incessantly find issues to criticise the unity government with to this day.
Obviously, they have lost the plot as we the rakyat reckon.
Even a frivolous issue like Anwar not wanting to take a salary is being questioned.
The recent overseas trip by the prime minister to attend conferences and accept official invitations at the behest of several world leaders is also being questioned.
The open and daring declaration by opposition leaders of wanting to change the coalition government cannot be taken too lightly at a time when the country is regaining recognition and acceptance from world leaders.
Anwar has positioned and presented himself well among world leaders during his recent foreign visits.
This regaining of our ground of recognition is praiseworthy in view of the fact that Malaysia is playing host at the 2025 Asean Summit.
What then can be the reason/s for the opposition leaders to harbour such devious and diabolic intent against a legally constituted government is indeed mind-boggling and most troubling.
Do they not see the economic benefits of the PM’s foreign visits that are expected to encourage foreign investments?
Do they not see that Malaysia has regained influence and recognition among its Asean partners as well as among other world leaders?
Do they not see that today there is some semblance of political and economic stability in the country that was much eroded in recent years before Anwar became the prime minister?
Perhaps they are very unhappy over the increase in the number of arrests and investigations involving corruption and the eyebrow-raising cases being brought to court.
What more do the opposition leaders want that could make them happy and accept the leadership of the unity government?
The country had gone through a turbulent period, especially during the Covid-19 pandemic; the “Sheraton Move” that brought down Dr Mahathir Mohamad’s Pakatan Harapan government; the resignation of Muhyiddin Yassin amid months of political turmoil within the Pakatan Nasional coalition; and the takeover by the lesser known Ismail Sabri Yaakob as the ninth prime minister.
From GE14 in 2018 to GE15 in 2022, the country witnessed three prime minister changes over four years.
It is time for all political parties and their leaders to come to their senses and set aside their political differences.
The priority for nation-building is the imperative demand to come together and discard the obsessions that can disrupt the country’s development and progress.
The rakyat have repeatedly expressed in social media, online, and even mainstream media the urgent need for all political leaders regardless of their political affiliation to come together in the spirit of brotherhood and oneness to serve our beloved nation and to secure its future in an increasingly perilous geopolitical setting.
Either the opposition political parties and their leaders wake up or risk the wrath of the voters in the next general election.
Zahid has only further strengthened himself by his right action to reject the opposition lure that is anti-democratic and ill-willed.
The views expressed here are those of the author/contributor and do not necessarily represent the views of Malaysiakini.
