PUTRAJAYA, Aug 6 (Bernama) — Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said political rivalry at the state level would not affect stability at the federal level, as the Unity Government was formed based on mutual understanding and an agreement that would remain in force until Parliament is dissolved.
Ahmad Zahid, who is also Barisan Nasional (BN) chairman, said political developments following the state elections, including those in Johor and Negeri Sembilan, would neither alter the direction of the MADANI Government’s administration nor affect the implementation of planned government policies, programmes and projects.
“As long as Parliament is not dissolved, the federal government will continue to function, the administration will carry on, and every responsibility entrusted to us by the people will be fulfilled as usual,” he said at the Rural and Regional Development Ministry’s (KKDW) monthly assembly here today.
Ahmad Zahid said cooperation within the government did not mean that political parties had to forfeit their respective identities or political principles.
He said the coalition government leading the country in Putrajaya could be understood through the concept of political autonomy within a coalition government, which allows each party to determine its own political strategy as long as it continues to honour the agreement underpinning the formation of the government.
“Each party still has the space to determine its own strategy, preserve its support base and offer choices to the people, as long as the commitments under the agreement to form the government continue to be honoured.
“In the context of the current government, once the mandate has been given and the government has been formed, the responsibility of governing must take precedence over all political differences,” he said.
Ahmad Zahid said the same concept was practised in countries such as Australia and Japan, where parties in coalition governments could still contest against one another at certain levels while continuing to work together in governing at the national level.
The Negeri Sembilan state election on Aug 1 saw BN, together with Perikatan Nasional (PN), form the state government after securing a two-thirds majority.
The Unity Government was formed after the 15th General Election (GE15) in November 2022, when no political coalition secured a simple majority to form the federal government.
The government was established through the cooperation of Pakatan Harapan (PH), which won the most parliamentary seats, together with BN, Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS), Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) and several other parties, with Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim appointed as the 10th Prime Minister.
— BERNAMA