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BAHAU: Political parties are urged to heed Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim's appeal to reconcile once the Negeri Sembilan state election is over.
Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said leaders must continue strengthening the unity government in Putrajaya, regardless of the outcome at state level.
With campaigning ending at 11.59pm on Friday (July 31), the Deputy Prime Minister said the political contest in Negeri Sembilan should not undermine the cooperation that underpins the federal administration, describing it as a reflection of Malaysia's increasingly mature democracy.
"There are only a few hours left before campaigning ends. The Prime Minister has said that after this, we must reconcile and embrace one another again because in Putrajaya, we are part of the same government.
"However, in Negeri Sembilan and Johor, we have had to compete in different arenas. This is the uniqueness and beauty of democracy in Malaysia," he said during a press conference here on Friday (July 31).
Ahmad Zahid, who is also Barisan Nasional (BN) chairman, said maintaining national interests remained the priority and reaffirmed the coalition's commitment to supporting Anwar until the end of his term as prime minister.
"In safeguarding the national interest, we must continue working together to strengthen the unity government.
"Our commitment to supporting Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim as Prime Minister until the end of the term is one that we have honoured and will continue to honour," he said.
While acknowledging that political analysts had offered differing predictions on which coalition might form the next Negeri Sembilan government, Ahmad Zahid said political stability after polling day was more important than the election result itself.
The BN chairman said whichever coalition secures enough support to form the state government must be allowed to govern with a clear majority.
"Whoever receives the Ruler's consent to be sworn in as Menteri besar must command majority support. We do not want disputes after the government has been formed.
"If we want Negeri Sembilan to continue progressing as one of the country's advanced states… then political stability must be established," he said.
The Umno president also urged political leaders to distinguish between state-level contests and cooperation at Federal level, saying the two should not be conflated.
"The people may hold different views and political preferences but leaders at both Federal and state levels must accept whichever coalition or party is given the mandate to form the state government. The people's mandate must be fully respected," he said.
Earlier on Friday, Anwar appealed to Negri Sembilan voters to set aside political differences after the campaign, urging all sides to forgive one another and "be friends again" despite contesting the election on opposing sides.
Polling for the Negeri Sembilan state election will take place on Saturday (Aug 1). -THE STAR
