PM-opposition meeting opens door to new politics - Saifuddin Abdullah

 

The meeting between newly-appointed Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob and leaders of the opposition Pakatan Harapan coalition yesterday is an important step towards a culture of new politics, said Pahang Perikatan Nasional chairperson Saifuddin Abdullah.

The former communications and multimedia minister said he began talking about new politics in 2006 when he wrote the book "Politik Baharu".

"I started discussing new politics in 2006. It is an idea that awaits implementation. Of course, I understand the dynamics of realpolitik. But I still have to soldier on with this idea," Saifuddin said on Twitter today.

Yesterday, Ismail Sabri held a meeting with opposition leader and PKR president Anwar Ibrahim, Amanah president Mohamad Sabu, and DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng of the Harapan coalition.

The hour-long meeting among others focused on finding a common ground to combat the Covid-19 pandemic.

In his book, Saifuddin said there are two main parts with the first talking about the need to abandon old political ways which are negative like ingratiation, slander, and the politics of votes.

The new politics is cleaner and fresher, he said, like the politics of knowledge, wisdom, and service which should be practised in the country.

The Pahang Bersatu chief said part two talked about political change happening at a higher level and abandoning political differences which are too adversarial which turned political opponents into bitter enemies.

“I urge the practice of ‘new governance framework’ as the basis of negotiations... among the government, business, and civil society. In this context, the meeting between the prime minister and the opposition leaders yesterday is very significant,” he said.

- Bernama