GOING against the king’s wishes for a unity government, by any standard, is disrespectful towards the institution and more importantly reflects apathy for the people in this country.

Muhyiddin Yassin would rather prolong a political stalemate for his own selfish ideals. Has he not learned from Dr Mahathir Mohamad’s mistakes? One must always safeguard their legacy by placing the people first. Muhyiddin failed as a prime minister before and now he would rather jeopardise his statesmanship than to form a government with Pakatan Harapan (PH).

The general election provided an opportunity for Malaysians to exercise their right in democracy – although it would seem our voice was not loud enough for leaders to hear a simple message. We want a stable nation! 

If it requires a consolidation of support for a coalition government that can last for five years, PH and Perikatan Nasional can work out a clear and public agreements on what policies to pursue and not to pursue, and the mechanism to deal with new and undecided issues.

The agreement(s) between coalition partners and potentially the confidence and supply agreements between government and opposition must be precise and be made public. This would provide the much needed checks and balances for Malaysia to gain investors’ confidence. We need elected leaders to look into social cohesion by setting a baseline for acceptance of different beliefs.

We are not asking PAS to forego their pursuit in the best interest of their vote base. We are also not asking Bersatu to break the promises they have made to their cohorts. Every Malaysian just wants a stable and functional government by the people, for the people.

In the words of Tunku Abdul Rahman, “We are all Malaysians. This is the bond that unites us. Let us always remember that unity is our fundamental strength as a people and as a nation.”

May Allah grant our leaders the wisdom to bring peace and prosperity for our beautiful nation. – November 23, 2022.

* Aidi Amin is Ampang PKR division secretary.

* This is the opinion of the writer or publication and does not necessarily represent the views of The Malaysian Insight. Article may be edited for brevity and clarity.