Gerakan president says objected to Perikatan states using different theme, logo for N-Day
KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 21 — Datuk Dominic Lau who heads Opposition party Gerakan has come out saying he objected to a Perikatan Nasional (PN) proposal to use a different theme and logo in the four states ruled by the coalition for this year’s National Day.
The PN deputy chairman said that the National Day celebration should not be politicised and that he had objected to the proposal by the coalition’s youth wing at a PN central leadership meeting, several newspapers reported today.
“I do not agree that we use a different theme because not all issues should be politicised. We do not want to give the image to the people that we are politicising National Day,” he was quoted by The Star as telling reporters in Teluk Kumbar, Penang yesterday.
Separately, The New Straits Times reported Lau as saying that PN Youth chief Ahmad Fadhli Shaari made the suggestion as a counter move to the federal government led by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim from Pakatan Harapan (PH).
Ahmad Fadhli claimed Anwar was politicising the theme by using terms like “Madani” and “unity” in the theme.
“It was a counter (move). But he can't do anything because he is not a chief minister or menteri besar,” Lau was quoted as saying by The New Straits Times.
Last Saturday, Ahmad Fadhli said that the four states under the PN coalition should use a different National Day logo and theme for their state-level celebrations, claiming that “Malaysia Madani: Tekad Perpaduan, Penuhi Harapan” was too closely linked to the federal government.
He urged the federal government to choose a theme that was more “middle ground” but was met with backlash.
Gerakan is a component of PN, along with PAS, Bersatu and Sabah Progressive Party.
In a separate report by Utusan Malaysia, Perlis Menteri Besar Mohd Shukri Ramli said the state government had no issues following the federal government’s theme although it opposed the use of the term “Malaysia Madani” in the theme.
He said the state government was waiting for a response from the PN top leadership on the matter.
“I have yet to receive any word from the senior leadership. We will have to wait and see.
“We have no issues with following it. We just won't be using the ‘Malaysia Madani’ phrase and will instead use our own motto or theme,” the Malay newspaper quoted the PAS politician as saying in Kangar yesterday.
Mohd Shukri was also reported saying that there had been past instances when the states used a different theme and logo for National Day, citing the 2012 celebrations in PH-led states.
