BANGI - Pakatan Harapan (PH) chairman Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim wants all the machinery of political parties under the Unity government to work hard to ensure victory in the upcoming state elections next month.
In this regard, he said Selangor should lead a new chapter in national politics with more cohesive and structured collaboration within PH and Barisan Nasional (BN) to win over voters.
He said victory in Selangor would not only be about the success of PH and BN, but rather a symbol of the unity government's efforts to raise Malaysia's dignity and respect in the region.
"Selangor is a state full of people who are intelligent and mature in politics...this state will set the new standards of politics in this country.
"So we want everything to be done with passion, sincerity and the right intention to save the people, the state, religion and the nation from those who are greedy for power," he said when launching the Selangor Madani Unity machinery here, today.
The ceremony was also attended by BN chairman Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, the top leadership of PH-BN, as well as Progressive Democratic Party (PDP) president Datuk Seri Tiong King Sing representing Gabungan Parti Sarawak.
Anwar said that in the mission for victory in Selangor, every PH-BN supporter should put aside their differences and instead work as a team to achieve the common goal of uplifting the dignity of the people and the state.
He said on behalf of PH, he would ensure that its machinery was mobilised to help all BN candidates win their respective contested seats.
"Those in PH should not feel uncomfortable holding up the BN flag, likewise, those in BN when they hold the PH flag...remember, we have a common goal to defend the state, religion, race and country," he said.
Meanwhile, Anwar also called on all PH-BN party members to prove that the Unity Government remained strong through victory in Selangor as well as the five other states involved in the upcoming state elections.
He said the Unity Government, which was committed to defending Islam and the Malays in accordance with the Federal Constitution, must be defended to ensure that no other race was left out or marginalised.
"To all party members in the Unity Government, don't ever let this country be ruined by religious extremists, narrow-minded racism, and this should be proven by our success in the upcoming state elections," said Anwar.
Meanwhile, Ahmad Zahid expressed confidence that Selangor would be led by the PH-BN government following the polls on Aug 12.
The Umno president said this was because Selangor under the PH administration led by Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Amirudin Shaari was fair to all people in the state.
"Tonight in Bangi, we see that the people of Selangor want the Unity Government to continue to (lead) this state," he said while expressing confidence that Penang and Negeri Sembilan would also be led by the Unity Government.
He also called on the people of Kelantan, Terengganu and Kedah to give the Unity Government a chance to govern the three states in order to overcome all issues related to the welfare of the people that the PAS-led governments had failed to address effectively.
With regard to BN candidates for the polls in the six states involved, Ahmad Zahid said the coalition would be putting forward new faces, signifying a new spirit.
He also respected the decision of the MIC and MCA leaderships to remain with BN to support all the candidates from the Unity Government even though the two parties were not contesting in the elections.
The Election Commission (EC) has set the state election for six states to be conducted simultaneously with Aug 12 as polling day, while the nomination of candidates will be on July 29 and early voting on Aug 8. - BERNAMA