CHANTS of “dulu lawan, sekarang kawan (once foes, now friends)” filled the air at the Unity Government National Convention yesterday.
Mahasiswa Keadilan Malaysia chairman Uzair Fadzli said interacting with the grassroots members of other parties was very exciting.
“It was nice to see our counterparts from other parties, such as Umno, where we also expressed our intention to work together in upcoming programmes.
“The aspirations for unity are not only happening at the senior level,” said the 23-year-old.
Progressive Democratic Party (PDP) member CR Sebastian, who flew in from Miri, Sarawak, pointed out that the unity government included many leaders who were previously from Umno.
“Take, for example, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim. Previously he was ‘lawan’ but now he is ‘kawan’,” he said.
PDP is one of the parties under the Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) umbrella.
Sebastian said he was upbeat about the cooperation among unity government parties in Sarawak.
“It’s great to see everyone from previously rival parties here under one roof today, all for the purpose of unity,” he said.
Petaling Jaya Wanita Umno member Nor Khaila Jamaluddin, 73, said she felt very positive about the convention.
“I am also very confident that everyone can work together despite parties previously being foes.
“When you think of the people and sincerely want to help, unity is necessary,” she said.
The convention was buzzing with activity, with members of the various component parties of the government pouring into the World Trade Centre Kuala Lumpur from as early as 8am yesterday.
