Himpunan mega jangan sekadar Umno dan PAS, kata Pejuang

Pejuang's spokesperson, Rafique Rashid, welcomed the proposal from both Umno and PAS to organize a national gathering called Himpunan Sejuta Umat, but stressed that the event should not be limited to just these two Malay parties. The rally needs to be open to all who wish to see unity between Malays and Islam rebuilt, he said. For years, Malays have been divided into various political groups including Umno, PAS, Pejuang, Wawasan, Bersatu, and others.

Therefore, the national gathering should not be just another gathering of Umno and PAS. Open its doors to everyone who wants to see the reconstruction of Malay and Islamic unity, Rashid urged in a statement. Rather than asking which party a person belongs to or what their past relationships were, we should focus on working together, he argued.

On Saturday, Umno President Zahid Hamidi said his party had been given the mandate to promote the idea of holding a massive gathering, in cooperation with PAS. Zahid said the PAS deputy at the Umno General Assembly last weekend proposed the gathering, as part of efforts by both parties to forge political cooperation. Pejuang is a component party of Perikatan Nasional, which also includes PAS and Bersatu.

Rashid noted that the envisioned gathering of a million participants is huge, but that number means nothing if after it ends Malays return to hating, disparaging and betraying each other. We have seen what happens when Malays unite, he said, and we are now witnessing what happens when they continue to divide. We don't need to dismantle all parties to unite.

We only need to agree that in matters concerning the future of our nation, religion and state, the common interest must take precedence over party and individual interests.