PUTRAJAYA: Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi today reminded Umno leaders not to create issues or engage in public spats with leaders from other parties aligned with the unity government.
The reminder from the Deputy Prime Minister and Umno president came on the heels of a statement made by the party's Supreme Council member Datuk Nur Jazlan Mohamed, who was quoted as urging Pakatan Harapan to issue a public apology to Umno for decades of attacks against the party.
"The statements made by Nur Jazlan and (Umno Youth chief Datuk) Dr (Muhammad) Akmal (Saleh) are personal opinions.
"As long as the party president or party leader has not issued any official statements, those remarks remain personal.
"There is no need to apologise. We should not 'disturb' our friends in the component parties of the unity government. We must respect one another.
"What is important is that we maintain the current state of unity in the government. Do not create any problems," he told reporters here today.
Zahid said he had met Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim as well as the presidents and the secretaries-general of component parties before and after the cabinet meeting this morning.
"We should set aside our differences in viewpoints. We must move forward to foster good cooperation in facing any potential challenges, including by-elections or general elections," he said.
Earlier, Zahid attended the closing ceremony of the 'Rakan Nadma (National Disaster Management Agency) Convention: Malaysia Madani, Siaga Bencana', event here today.
Present was Majlis Amanah Rakyat chairman Datuk Dr Asyraf Wajdi Dusuki.
At the event, Zahid launched the Rakan Nadma Rejuvenation Plan 2030, which will serve as a reference document for stakeholders to plan, implement, and monitor programmes that have a positive impact on vulnerable groups.
The plan outlines three working groups in Rakan Nadma to serve as a guide, to enable members to carry out their respective roles more effectively.