KUALA LUMPUR – Pakatan Harapan secretary-general Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail appears to have mooted changes to one of the coalition’s renowned slogans, in the spirit of embracing former political foes which have since joined forces in the unity government.
Speaking during the Unity Government National Convention’s forum session here today, Saifuddin said that the “lawan tetap lawan” (the fight must go on) chant, which is PKR’s unofficial slogan, should be edited to reflect the coming together of various political parties under the unity government.
“(MCA president) Datuk Seri Wee Ka Siong mentioned just now the phrase ‘dulu lawan, sekarang kawan’ (then rivals, now allies).
“Those of us with the reformation movement have a similar saying, which is ‘lawan tetap lawan’. But now, since we have formed the unity government, we will have to adjust our slogan a bit.
“When (Amanah vice-president) Datuk Mahfuz Omar and I used to deliver ceramah sessions, we always said ‘lawan tetap lawan’, but now we should modify our chants,” he said to laughs of amusement from thousands of delegates.
Towards the end of his speech, Saifuddin then led the crowd of delegates in a chorus of “dulu lawan, sekarang kawan”, causing the Barisan Nasional linchpin Umno headquarters, where the inaugural convention is being held, to reverberate with the chant.
“Lawan tetap lawan” was the slogan first coined by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim supporters in the past when the PKR president was then a vocal critic of the government administration at that time.
The slogan has been retained by PH, with the slogan accompanying most of its election roadshows or political demonstration.
The national convention today saw attendees dropping their respective party colours to showcase the unity government’s cohesion, dispelling rumours of instability within Anwar’s administration. – The Vibes, May 14, 2023
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