No need for DAP to drop 'Malaysian Malaysia' slogan - Loke
NURUL HUDA HUSAIN
SHAH ALAM - DAP secretary-general Anthony Loke Siew Fook insisted that there is no need for his party to drop the 'Malaysian Malaysia' slogan as urged by some.
According to him, the principle was also explained and mutually agreed upon before the Unity Government led by the Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim was formed.
In fact, he said that Umno president Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi was also satisfied with the explanation given by DAP regarding the party's constitution.
"The provisions in DAP constitution are some of the basic things that concern the Malays, and I had already explained them.
"DAP supports the principles including the position of Islam as the official religion, the Malay language as the national language and Article 153 of the Federal Constitution," he was reported by a news portal after speaking at a Pakatan Harapan (PH) ceramah at Wisma DAP Muar, Taman Sakeh Baru, Johor yesterday.
He was commenting on the statement of Umno supreme council member Datuk Nur Jazlan Mohamed who said that DAP needs to change into a moderate party so that it can continue to be supported by the Chinese community and Malay voters.
Jazlan last Wednesday said that DAP is a partner in the Unity Government coalition and needs to follow BN and Umno's success formula which changes according to today's political landscape.
He suggested that to ensure the formula's success, DAP needs to drop the Secular State agenda and Malaysian Malaysia slogan in its constitution.
Meanwhile, Loke argued that parties can come together to form an alliance despite having their own fights and views.
Therefore, he said that it is not appropriate for any party in the government coalition to continue disputing the constitution or basic principles of other parties that are its allies.
"For me, each party has a point of view and each party has principles of fight. This is not a problem when we work together in a political coalition especially when forming a Unity Government.
"But what is important today is that we form a Unity Government, work together on the most important parameter that is we uphold and defend the Federal Constitution," he stressed.
