Najib, Hadi to unite for sake of ‘ummah’
MUTUAL: Leaders agree to put aside differences to highlight plight of Rohingya Muslims
HISTORY will be created this Sunday when Umno president Datuk Seri Najib Razak shares the stage with his Pas counterpart, Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang.
The two leaders will be at a gathering to protest the ongoing persecution of the Rohingya in Myanmar.
Najib, who is the prime minister, said he and Hadi had agreed to set aside their differences for the sake of Malay unity and the ummah.
“Umno expresses its deepest sympathy and strongly condemns all acts of cruelty, brutality and oppression towards our Muslim brothers — the Rohingya in Myanmar.
“To this end, the Umno-led government will do its best to ensure that the relevant quarters stop this atrocity. As a matter of fact, this Sunday, in representing Umno, I will attend a large gathering with the Pas president and non-governmental organisations to state our firm stance.
“History has taught us enough. Muslims have time and again collapsed and become paralysed only because of betrayal and hostility,” he said in his presidential speech at the Umno General Assembly yesterday.
Najib said Umno would do everything in its power to stop the atrocities Umno president the
Lumpur yesterday.
leading a solidarity chant at at the Putra World Trade Centre in Kuala against Rohingya Muslims in Myanmar’s Rakhine State.
“Just think about what happened to Muslims around the world before it’s too late. Do we want to suffer the same fate as the Palestinians, Syrians and those living in the southern Philippines?” Najib asked the delegates at Dewan Merdeka, Putra World Trade Centre here yesterday.
He reiterated that it was time to mend old wounds and end the enmity among Malay Muslims.
“Enough is enough. I urge all of us to unite. In the name of Malay unity, forget all quarrels and differences. Let us return to the right path.
“The unity of the ummah is very close to my heart. Come, let us heal the wounds and stop fanning the flames of hostility between us.”
Najib also recited a poem, in a friendly gesture towards Pas, calling on both sides to bury the hatchet.
“I would like to thank our friends from Pas for practising mature politics and remaining in Parliament to listen to the entire tabling of the 2017 Budget, and for not joining the street demonstration by Bersih.”
The prime minister also announced that Pas’s hudud-linked private member’s bill would be taken over by the Federal Government.
“I ask all of you not to politicise the issue… to the non-Muslims, fear not, because (you) will not be subjected to (Syariah) law and the government is studying the fine prints to ensure that there are no elements of dual punishment.”
Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said the Umno-Pas collaboration extended beyond political purposes.
“The cooperation focuses on unity and solidarity while addressing the plight of fellow Muslims like the Rohingya. If we are divided, how are we supposed to help others?”
Vice-president Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein said the president had indicated the need for Muslims to remain united.
He said it was not a question of politics, but rather how to counter the perception on Islam as portrayed by the media.