PETALING JAYA: Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad and Perikatan Nasional chairman Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin have met to discuss the agenda to unite the Malay community, says Datuk Seri Khairuddin Abu Hassan.
The Malay Proclamation secretariat chairman said the almost two-hour long meeting between the two was to ensure the continuity of the struggle to empower the Malay community.
He added that the two leaders had set aside their political differences and agreed to promote the Malay Proclamation movement.
"Indeed, the non-partisan Malay Proclamation movement will also open its doors to any enthusiastic Malays who are willing to unite regardless of their respective political ideologies," he said in a statement on Wednesday (July 5)
He did not go into the details about what was discussed by Mahathir and Muhyiddin.
Khairuddin also said that the Malay Proclamation movement is not based on party lines but on the struggle and spirit of Malays alone.
"We only seek to discuss and resolve Malay issues based on the rights of the Malays as enshrined in the Federal Constitution," he said, adding that it will not allow any infringement upon the rights of other communities in the country in an unconstitutional manner.
Muhyiddin, who is also the Bersatu president, had previously said that he was prepared to work with his former colleague-turned-rival Dr Mahathir after the latter extended an olive branch to him.
“I welcome Dr Mahathir’s statement that he is willing to cooperate with me. I am aware of recent political developments that put the Malays and Muslims in this country at tough crossroads,” Muhyiddin said.
Dr Mahathir and Muhyiddin founded Bersatu together in 2016 and the party joined the Pakatan Harapan coalition which then came to federal power in the 14th General Election (GE14) in 2018.
They parted ways when the Pakatan government was brought down by the Sheraton Move in February 2020, which saw Muhyiddin taking the party out of the coalition despite protests from Dr Mahathir.
Dr Mahathir resigned as the prime minister and Bersatu chairman and was sacked from the party three months later for not supporting the Muhyiddin-led Perikatan government.
Both led rival coalitions that contested against each other in GE15, with Muhyiddin heading Perikatan and Dr Mahathir helming the now defunct Gerakan Tanah Air (GTA).
