Umno hails Anwar, Zahid speaks Chinese: Malaysians hope political unity is not ‘just for show’

The weeks after PM Anwar Ibrahim’s appointment have been disorienting for a public that’s built their political alignments based on vast lines that separated BN and PH

While relieved that politicians are finally coming together ‘for the people’, Malaysians remain wary about the stability of a government formed by bitter rivals

Reading Time:3 minutes

Malaysia’s PM Anwar Ibrahim (R), along with his deputies Ahmad Zahid Hamidi (C) and Fadillah Yusof (L). Photo: EPA-EFE

Published: 11:30am, 18 Dec 2022

It was an improbable scene as Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, the corruption-tainted president of Umno and chairman of the former ruling Barisan Nasional (BN) coalition, clambered up on the campaign truck of their once-bitter enemies to stump for Pakatan Harapan (PH) at a recent by-election.

It was a first for Ahmad Zahid, whose Malay nationalist Umno party had long accused Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s PH alliance of running a clandestine agenda to hand over national power to Malaysia’s minority ethnic Chinese at the expense of the majority Malay majority community.

Partway into his speech in the Padang Serai constituency in the state of Kedah, Ahmad Zahid pulled out an unexpected card – by addressing the crowd in Mandarin.

“I am Malay. You are Chinese. I am Malaysian. We are all Malaysians, right?” he said while flashing a gigawatt smile, to cheers from the crowd.

The weeks after Anwar’s appointment as prime minister have been disorienting for a public that has for decades built their political alignments based on clearly defined lines that separated the once-dominant BN and the long-time opposition PH front.