Disheartened with fiery race rhetoric made at the recently concluded Umno general assembly, Parti Kesejahteraan Insan Tanah Air (Kita) has decided to throw its support behind opposition parties.

Kita which had intended to contest in the general polls, affirmed that it will not go against opposition candidates "in the interests of maintaining solidarity".

zaid ibrahim quits pkr 191110 02 "Kita will not field any candidate if doing so will jeopardise the chances of an opposition candidate winning a seat," pledged the greenhorn party’s president Zaid Ibrahim ( left ).

He once reportedly said he planned to contest in Petaling Jaya Utara or Petaling Jaya Selatan - both now controlled by DAP and PKR respectively.

The former law minister pointed out that the speeches of Umno leaders targeted at the opposition coalition at the five-day assembly last week “portended dangerous trends in the nation’s politics”.

“These statements are both regrettable and worrying.

"The DAP has been labelled as a 'racist’ party, and those Malays who are in the opposition are described as lackeys of the Chinese.

"There have been false accusations that, if the opposition wins, the country will become a republic and the Malays will lose all their rights and privileges," said Zaid in a statement today.

Zaid, a proponent of Najib’s reform ideals, had been supportive of the premier’s announcement on the eve of Malaysia Day on Sept 15 to repeal the emergency laws, the Internal Security Act, and laws relating to the press, freedom of assembly and expression.

The Kita leader then went on a nationwide road show to bolster support.

NONE Prime Minister and Umno president Najib Abdul Razak while addressing the delegates at the AGM had taken potshots at the opposition coalition Pakatan Rakyat, labelling PAS as a "stupid" party exploited by DAP.

Criticising the premier’s remarks, Zaid said the accusations were “dangerous and irresponsible” as targeting the Chinese-majority DAP would further alienate the community, who had widely supported the opposition in the 2008 general election.

“(It) will do nothing (but) to hurt them (the Chinese), as they are self-sufficient and self-contained community.

“Instead it will be the Malays who will suffer because the party they trusted to lead them only have wild rhetoric’s to offer; when the Malays are looking for honest solutions to the nation’s problems,” said Zaid.

Necessary sacrifice

“To show our solidarity with the people of the Malaysia, and our rejection of such fascist and authoritarian ideas, Kita wishes to restate that we will continue to support the opposition platform in the hope of real change,” said Zaid.

The spirited speeches with a racial bent would only amplify the “terrible divisions” in the society, said the former law minister.

He added that leaders are prepared to win the general election “at all cost” and care more for power and position, rather than the well-being of the nation.

pakatan leaders parliament pc 220609 0 Although Kita still maintains its disagreement to several policies of the opposition, Zaid said that the pact’s “shortcomings” will not “destroy racial harmony in Malaysia”.

“We will instead give unconditional support to the opposition in any way we can to ensure victory for the people.

"This is the time in our nation’s history that the people must be prepared to make great sacrifices.

"Kita will not call on others to make such a sacrifice if it is unprepared to do itself," stressed Zaid.

Unity is central to Kita’s philosophy, he added, reasoning that as such “sacrifices” of smaller parties are necessary to ensure “optimum results” during the general election.

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