Himpunan mega jangan sekadar Umno dan PAS, kata Pejuang

Pejuang's Head of Communications, Rafique Rashid, welcomed the proposals from Umno and PAS to organize the "Himpunan Sejuta Umat" (Million People's Gathering), but stressed that the gathering should not be limited to just the two Malay parties. Rashid emphasized that the gathering should be open to all who wish to see a renewed unity of Malays and Islam.

He pointed out that Malays have been too divided for too long among various political entities, including Umno, PAS, Pejuang, Wawasan, Bersatu, and others. Therefore, the "Million People's Gathering" should not merely be a gathering of Umno and PAS. Instead, it should be an open invitation to all who desire to see the renewed unity of Malays and Islam.

Rafid questioned the idea of asking whether someone is a member of which party or their previous marriages and affiliations. He argued that each attempt to unite must start from scratch, as reopening old feuds will not lead to unity. In a statement, Pejuang President Zahid Hamidi said his party was given the mandate to spearhead the proposal to hold a massive gathering, in collaboration with PAS.

On Saturday, Umno President Zahid Hamidi said the Pemuda party was given the mandate to initiate the proposal to hold a massive gathering, in collaboration with PAS. Zahid said a PAS representative to the Umno General Assembly last week proposed the gathering, as part of efforts for the two parties to forge political cooperation.

Pejuang is a component party of Perikatan Nasional, which also includes PAS and Bersatu. Rafique stressed that the gathering with the aim of attracting a million participants is significant, but that figure would mean nothing if after it ends, Malays return to criticizing, undermining, and betraying one another.

He recalled what happened when Malays united in the past and what is happening now as Malays continue to divide themselves. Rafique stressed that there is no need to dismantle all parties to achieve unity. Instead, what is needed is to agree that in matters involving the future of the nation, religion, and state, the common interest must take precedence over party and individual interests.