Anwar offers 'olive branch' to Barisan Nasional
BY MARTIN CARVALHO AND L. SUGANYA
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PETALING JAYA: Opposition leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has called for a national consensus on serious issues affecting religious and racial harmony in the country.
Offering an "olive branch" to Barisan Nasional, Anwar said that the situation had reached untenable levels and was threatening to "tear apart the very fabric of our unity" and our identity as Malaysians.
He urged politicians from both sides of political divide to work together towards nation building.
"We must reject the notion that Islam is under threat and that there is some sinister conspiracy to replace Islam as the religion of the federation," he said.
Anwar also said the national consensus should address other issues such as the rising cost of living, corruption and security.
"Let us help our police fight crime and make our homes, our schools and our shopping complexes safer," he said.
Anwar ended the press conference by reminding all leaders, irrespective of their political beliefs, that national interests should be put above any political agenda.
"Duty towards the nation is even greater than duty to the party," he said.
THE STAR
