Zahid attributes unity govt's resilience to coalition compatibility

KUALA LUMPUR: Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said the unity government's resilience is due to the understanding and compatibility between coalition parties, despite having been fierce political rivals in the past.

"It is not easy to maintain this cooperation. The Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, and I have known each other for almost 40 years, dating back to our time in Umno.

"I was the Umno Youth chief at the time, while he was the Umno deputy president before being dismissed in 1998," he said in an interview on Podcast Utama Buletin TV3.

Zahid also said that he remained loyal to Umno despite hardships, such as being detained under the Internal Security Act (ISA) in 1998.

He said that in November 2022, Umno and Barisan Nasional (BN) set 10 conditions before agreeing to join the Unity Government, which was formed under the decree of the then Yang di-Pertuan Agong.

"The four key conditions that had to be agreed upon were the status of Islam as the religion of the Federation, the special rights of the Malays, the position of the Malay race, and the sovereignty of the Malay Rulers. Alhamdulillah, Pakatan Harapan (PH) accepted all these conditions without objection," he said.

Zahid also dismissed allegations that the Democratic Action Party (DAP) opposes Islamic and Malay-related agendas within the government.

"In Cabinet meetings, DAP secretary-general Anthony Loke sits to my right. Over the past 25 months, I have never seen any opposition from DAP towards Islamic and Malay agendas in the Cabinet," he said.

He added that when the Bumiputera Economic Congress was held, Digital Minister Gobind Singh Deo from DAP was appointed as a committee member and never opposed any resolutions presented.

However, Zahid acknowledged that in every party, including Umno, there are some leaders who act as 'loose cannons' by making statements that do not align with the party's official stance.

He expressed hope that the compatibility built over the past 25 months would continue until the government completes its full 60-month term.

"What matters most is government policy. As long as there are no policy conflicts within this government, I believe stability will be maintained," he said.