THE public feud between Umno and DAP could spell disaster for the unity government, warned Lokman Adam.

The head of the unity government’s media secretariat stressed that internal discord within the coalition could have significant repercussions, particularly during elections.

“We cannot ignore that in any party or coalition, there will be individuals making reckless comments,” Lokman, also a member of the Umno Supreme Council, told The Malaysian Insight. “While we cannot completely avoid this, such behaviour can tarnish the party or coalition’s reputation.”

Lokman was referring to the dispute between DAP Vice-Chairperson Teresa Kok and Umno Youth Chief Muhamad Akmal Saleh.

On September 5, Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Religious Affairs) Mohd Na’im Mokhtar reportedly stated that the Department of Islamic Development Malaysia (Jakim) was considering a proposal to make halal certification mandatory for restaurants and food companies that do not serve pork and alcohol.

The proposal sparked controversy when the Seputeh MP argued that halal certification should be voluntary, allowing operators to make decisions based on market demand.

In response to Teresa’s statement, Akmal, who is also the Merlimau assemblyman, labelled Teresa “Nyonya tua” and suggested that the government should place a “non-halal logo” on her forehead.

This led Teresa to issue a legal notice demanding RM25 million in damages from Akmal for his alleged defamatory remarks regarding halal certification.

Akmal, undeterred by the potential legal action, declared his readiness to face Teresa in court.

With the Mahkota state seat by-election approaching, Lokman urged government party members to set aside their differences and focus on securing support for the government.

“I believe everyone involved is sensible and understands that their statements and remarks could ultimately harm the coalition,” he said. “If anyone needs to reprimand or express discontent, it should be done internally and with discretion to prevent damaging the parties or coalition.”

Lokman called on members of both Barisan Nasional (BN) and Pakatan Harapan (PH) to overcome their differences and aim to retain the Mahkota assembly seat with a stronger majority.

“Do not let social media users or the opposition exploit this situation to foster negative reactions towards the coalition,” Lokman warned. “We must avoid any negative feedback from voters, as it could jeopardise our goal of achieving a majority of over 10,000 in the Mahkota state assembly.”

PAS Youth Chief Afnan Hamimi took the opportunity to criticise the lack of unity within the government, highlighting the ongoing dispute between Teresa and Akmal.

“They are part of the same unity government, yet they are not united. Now, Teresa is suing Akmal. It appears the government does not prioritise unity at all,” Afnan said. – September 14, 2024.