Kuala lumpur: Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi assured that political rivalry at the state level would not impact the federal government's stability, as the Unity Government was founded on mutual understanding and an agreement that will remain effective until the dissolution of Parliament.
According to BERNAMA News Agency, Ahmad Zahid, who also serves as the Barisan Nasional (BN) chairman, emphasized that political developments following state elections, including those in Johor and Negeri Sembilan, would neither change the direction of the MADANI Government's administration nor disrupt the execution of planned government policies, programmes, and projects. He stated at the Rural and Regional Development Ministry's (KKDW) monthly assembly that the federal government would continue to operate efficiently, fulfilling its responsibilities to the people, as long as Parliament remains undissolved.
Ahmad Zahid further explained that cooperation within the government does not necessitate political parties to relinquish their identities or political principles. The coalition government in Putrajaya operates on the concept of political autonomy within a coalition, allowing each party to determine its political strategy while honoring the agreement that forms the government.
He reiterated that each party has the liberty to determine its strategy, maintain its support base, and offer choices to the populace, provided the commitments under the government formation agreement are respected. He stressed that governance should take precedence over political differences once the mandate is given and the government is established.
Ahmad Zahid also noted that similar practices are observed in countries like Australia and Japan, where coalition government parties may contest against each other at certain levels while collaborating in national governance. The recent Negeri Sembilan state election resulted in BN and Perikatan Nasional (PN) forming the state government after achieving a two-thirds majority.
The Unity Government was established following the 15th General Election (GE15) in November 2022, when no political coalition secured a simple majority to form the federal government. The government was formed through the cooperation of Pakatan Harapan (PH), which won the most parliamentary seats, alongside BN, Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS), Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS), and several other parties, with Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim appointed as the 10th Prime Minister.