Anwar: Pakatan will abandon its N-day theme if ‘Promises Fulfilled’ changed
UPDATED @ 05:17:28 PM 02-08-2012
PETALING JAYA, Aug 2 — Pakatan Rakyat (PR) is willing to abandon its alternative National Day theme if the government agrees to change its “Janji Ditepati” (Promises Fulfilled) slogan to a more “inclusive” one, Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said today.
The PR de facto leader told a press conference here that the federal opposition would also be willing to accept if the government rejected its proposed alternative theme called “Sebangsa, Senegara, Sejiwa” (One nation, one country, one soul), which was announced yesterday.
“If it (the government’s new theme) is inclusive, we have no problem. If say, for example, the government decides not to accept PR’s slogan but it proposes one of its own that is inclusive... I am ready to ask my friends in PR to accept it.
“This is the fasting month... we are very moderate,” Anwar (picture) said.
The ruling BN government had chosen “Janji Ditepati” as its theme for this year’s National Day celebrations, a move which drew intense criticism from the opposition and Malaysians.
PR leaders have accused the BN government of hijacking the celebrations for its own political campaign by using the theme to abuse government machinery for campaigning purposes.
In retaliation, the opposition coalition of PKR, the DAP and PAS announced yesterday its own alternative theme called “Sebangsa, Sejiwa, Sebangsa”, following suggestions from the public last Friday.
The selection was made by a committee, chaired by national laureate Datuk A. Samad Said, which included members such as former minister Tan Sri Abdul Kadir Sheikh Fadzir, Datuk Dr Toh Kin Woon, women’s rights activist Ivy Josiah and ex-Suhakam commissioner Tan Sri Simon Sipaun.
Anwar disagreed that PR’s decision to come up with its own alternative theme would divide Malaysians, pointing out that calling for the spirit of unity should not be considered divisive.
“Those who preach sectarianism... that is clearly divisive, so I don’t think we should equate these two slogans as the same.
“How can you suggest, for example, our motto calling for one nation, one soul... as divisive?
“This is a challenge to Umno and BN leaders to reconsider their sectarian, parochial or partisan approach,” he said.
