KUALA LUMPUR – Every party has the right to fight for their own religious beliefs, but this should not affect their relations with those of other ethnicities and religions, said Gerakan chief Datuk Dominic Lau.
Commenting on their affiliation with parties that focus mainly on the rights of the Bumiputera, Lau said it is the prerogative of each party and that this has not distracted them from focusing on their own fight.
“Every political party has their own mission and constitution. Bersatu fights for Malays, PAS fights for Islam. For Gerakan, we fight for all Malaysians,” he told a press conference at the party headquarters today.
He said there is a consensus in Perikatan Nasional (PN) that each party should be free to fight for what they believe in, as long as it does not negatively affect others in the country.
He said there has never been any conflict of interests among the parties in PN and that there has always been compromise and understanding among them.
“PAS fights for Muslims’ rights, but we are free to speak up if we feel it affects other religions, and they are more than willing to listen,” he said.
“We must identify how to clearly convey this message to the non-Muslims, apart from amplifying our image as a clean and stable coalition,” he added.
He said Gerakan also wants to help provide equality among all communities and this was something they are focusing on.
“Every Malaysian has their rights, religions, and cultures. This is all respected in the constitution. And as long as it’s stated (therein), we will follow and respect it.
“We respect that Islam and Bahasa Malaysia are the national religion and language. We also respect that the people can have their own religion and mother tongue.
“We use the constitution as our ‘Bible’ that we follow closely to help create a better Malaysia,” he added.
In the press conference, Lau also said the increased number of votes for Gerakan in the 15th general election, compared to preceding state elections, indicated that the coalition’s slogan of “concern, clean, and stable” has been accepted by Malaysians.
“A total 34% of first-time Malay voters cast their votes for PN,” he said.
“Votes for us have also increased since the Melaka and Johor state elections.
“In Penang, we placed second in four out of the five seats we contested, though they were multi-cornered fights,” he added.
With the newfound confidence, Gerakan has set its eyes on the upcoming elections in Padang Serai and Tioman, as well as several state elections next year. – The Vibes, November 26, 2022
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