By Clara Chooi
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.
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