Zahid Hamidi did the right thing in refusing to jump ship

By Arshad Raji

At the recent Federal Territory Barisan Nasional convention, Deputy PM and Barisan Nasional chairman Zahid Hamidi revealed an attempt by some opposition leaders to lure him and BN into abandoning the incumbent “unity government” and forming a new coalition government with him being offered the post of prime minister.

The deputy PM rejected the attempt to lure him and BN out of the unity government.

He was resolute in reaffirming his commitment to continue serving the incumbent unity government.

Zahid also vowed he would never betray his allies in the unity government despite claiming to have himself been betrayed in the past.

Since the establishment of the unity government under the PKR-led coalition of Anwar Ibrahim in November 2022, opposition party leaders have proven time and again to be unable to accept the fact that they had lost the opportunity to form a legitimate government.

They continue unabated instead to incessantly keep finding issues to criticise the unity government till this day.

Obviously, they have lost the plot.

Even a frivolous issue like Anwar not wanting to take a salary is being questioned.

Anwar’s recent overseas trip to attend conferences and his acceptance of official invitations from several world leaders are also being questioned.

The open and daring declaration by opposition leaders that they want to change the unity government cannot be taken lightly at a time when the country is regaining recognition and acceptance by world leaders.Anwar has positioned and presented himself well among world leaders during his recent foreign visits.

This regaining of recognition is praiseworthy, given that Malaysia is playing host at the 2025 Asean summit.

What then can be the reasons for the opposition leaders to harbour such devious and diabolical intent against a legally constituted government? This is indeed mind-boggling and most troubling.

Do they not see the economic benefits of the PM’s foreign visits that are expected to encourage foreign investments?

Do they not see that Malaysia has regained influence and recognition among its Asean partners and other world leaders?

Do they not see that today there is some semblance of political and economic stability in the country, which had much eroded in recent years prior to Anwar becoming PM?

Perhaps they are very unhappy over the increase in the number of arrests, the speedy corruption investigations and the eyebrow-raising cases being brought to court?

What more do the opposition leaders want that could make them happy enough to accept the leadership of the unity government?

The country had gone through a turbulent period, especially during the Covid pandemic, the “Sheraton move” that brought down Dr Mahathir Mohamad’s Pakatan Harapan government, the resignation of Mahiaddin Yasin amid months of political turmoil within the Perikatan Nasional coalition, and the takeover as PM by the lesser known Ismail Sabri Yaakob.

From the 2018 general election to the 2022 general election, the country witnessed three changes of prime ministers, all over a period of four years.

It is time for all political parties and their leaders to come to their senses and set aside their political differences. The priority for nation-building is for all sides to come together and discard their obsessions that can disrupt the country’s development and progress.

The people have repeatedly expressed in social media, online and even mainstream media the urgent need for all political leaders, regardless of their political affiliations, to come together in the spirit of brotherhood and oneness to serve our beloved nation and to secure its future in an increasingly perilous geopolitical setting.

Either the opposition political parties and their leaders wake up or risk the wrath of voters in the next general election.

Zahid has only further strengthened himself by his right action to reject the opposition lure that is anti-democratic and ill-willed.

Retired Brigadier General Dato’ Arshad Raji is advisor and founder of the Malaysian National Patriots Association (Patriot).