Pakatan Harapan chief secretary Saifuddin Abdullah stressed today there that is no party dominating the federal opposition pact.

In his opening speech at the Federal Territories Kuala Lumpur Pakatan Harapan convention, Saifuddin said this is a part of the component parties' strategy to contest as one coalition in the 14th general election, which is widely expected to be held by this year.

"There is no dominant partner in Pakatan Harapan. No way. That is the Barisan Nasional model.

"They (BN) are a coalition and we (Harapan) are also a coalition. But there is no dominant partner in Pakatan Harapan," Saifuddin told some 250 delegates from the PKR, DAP, Amanah and Bersatu divisions gathered at a hotel in Cheras this morning.

With the latest addition of Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (Bersatu) to the coalition, Saifuddin said, the Harapan parties is also finalising a common manifesto for GE14.

Saifuddin also said that unlike BN's race-based approach in dealing with issues, Harapan would offer a new approach, with all parties helping one another to help the people.

"The BN is a race-based partnership model, where each race is managed by its own race (-based parties).

"We (Harapan) are also a partnership among different races, but all component parties worked together to help all races. Because that is the real Malaysian narrative," Saifuddin said.

Ahead of GE14, other leaders who spoke at the convention throughout the day also stressed on the importance of Harapan moving beyond political rhetorics based on race and religion.

Amanah president Mohamad Sabu (photo) said Harapan must control the public perception that has been shaped by BN based on issues of race and religion.

In his speech Mohamad, who is widely known as Mat Sabu, cited the outcome of the recent Jakarta governor election that saw incumbent Basuki Tjahaya Purnama failing to retain his post against Anies Baswedan.

“One month ago I was with Ronnie Liu in Jakarta. We rode in taxis. Out of the eight taxis we used during our stay, seven drivers said they would vote for Ahok, and one said Anies.

“But when I there went last week, from six drivers, four said they will vote for Anies and two said Ahok,” Mat Sabu said.

He pointed out that the loss was also despite an initial 70 percent approval rate recorded for Ahok’s administration, based on his achievements in addressing issues of concern to the people, including flash floods and corruption.

He attributed the swing of support to a perception created that Ahok, who is a Chinese Christian, could eventually rise to become Indonesia's next president as current President Joko Widodo was also a former Jakarta governor.

"Will the 80 percent Muslim majority in Indonesia be willing to have a Chinese president?

"That (perception) is being invited to Malaysia right now," Mat Sabu said.

In reaffirming Harapan's commitment to reject race-based politics, he cautioned that a failure to address perceptions that played on the emotions of voters would lessen the impact of their proven successes in other areas of administration.

Among other Harapan leaders present at the convention opening were Bersatu vice-president Abdul Rashid Abdul Rahman, PKR secretary-general Saifuddin Nasution and DAP acting national chairperson Tan Kok Wai.