KULIM: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim's success in the vote of confidence in Dewan Rakyat this Dec 19 will cement the unity government's position as the strongest administration ever formed in Malaysian history.
Thus, Deputy Prime Minister I Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi stressed that the unity government built under a grand coalition supported by all races in the country must be defended to propel the country into greatness.
"InsyaAllah, should there be a vote of confidence in Parliament, this unity government that is supported by all races in the country, will be the strongest government in political history.
"The new politics is no longer about racial politics, the new politics is not about religion, the new politics in Malaysia requires a new landscape where all races, all religions, all cultures must unite as the true Malaysians," Zahid said during his speech at a joint-mega rally for the Padang Serai parliamentary election in Kampung Tunku Putra here last night.
The rally featured Barisan Nasional (BN) and Pakatan Harapan (PH) leaders coming together to campaign for PH candidate Dr Mohamad Sofee Razak.
Present were PKR deputy president and Economic minister Rafizi Ramli, PKR secretary-general Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail, Pas vice-president Datuk Mahfuz Omar and state BN chairman and Umno liaison committee chief Datuk Seri Jamil Khir Baharom.
Also present to show solidarity for Sofee was BN candidate for the Padang Serai parliamentary election, Datuk C. Sivaraj who withdrew from the race on Friday.
Zahid who is also BN chairman and Umno president said the unity forged by PH, BN and other partners in the unity government should be defended beyond the five-years' term to propel the country into greatness.
"InsyaAllah, this cooperation is not just for five years, not for 10 years, not for 15 years, with honesty we will work together as a team as a grand coalition.
"I am full of confidence, if we are able to defend this trend, if this unity is preserved, Malaysia will become even more glorious," he said.
Zahid said a strong and stable government administration would enable the government to perform better to address pressing issues such as the people's cost of living while instilling confidence among the investors.
He later urged the voters in Padang Serai to support Sofee during the Dec 7 polls to ensure the constituency to be represented by a candidate that is in line with the federal administration.
The Election Commission had postponed the Padang Serai polls to Dec 7 after the death of Pakatan Harapan candidate M. Karupaiya.
Karupaiya, 69, had won the seat in the previous general election after he secured 8,813 majority votes, defeating MCA candidate Datuk Dr Leong Yong Kong and Mohammad Sobri Osman from Pas.
Karupaiya, was nominated again by PH on Nov 5 to defend the seat. However, he died on Nov 16, two days after being admitted to Kulim Hospital due to a heart attack while campaigning.
Padang Serai has 133,767 eligible voters, with 81,230 of the voters in Lunas state constituency while the remaining 52,546 voters in Merbau Pulas constituency.