KUALA LUMPUR – Controversy has flared over Malaysia’s National Day slogan this year, with the opposition coalition claiming that it reflects election campaign terms often used by the Anwar Ibrahim administration.
The federal government’s logo features the national flag in the shape of an open palm, with the slogan “Malaysia Madani: Tekad Perpaduan, Penuhi Harapan”, or “Civil Malaysia: Determination in Unity, Fulfilling Hope”.
It was unveiled in May. Malaysia’s Merdeka Day falls on Aug 31, when it will celebrate 66 years of independence.
Several leaders of the opposition Perikatan Nasional (PN) bloc have pointed out that several words in the tagline are closely associated with the Anwar government.
“The federal government has politicised the National Day celebrations by using a theme that is clearly linked to political parties, with the words ‘madani’, unity, and ‘harapan’,” PN Youth chief Ahmad Fadhli Shaari said in a video on TikTok on Sunday.
“These were words used by parties during campaigning for the recent state polls and have become politicised.”
Mr Anwar adopted the “Malaysia Madani” slogan to convey that his administration represents moderation, good governance and racial harmony. Last month, he dubbed the annual budget the Madani Budget.
Last Saturday, Mr Fadhli proposed that the four states ruled by PN use a different logo and theme for state-level celebrations: a stylised hibiscus in the colours of the Malaysian flag and the words “Teguh Muafakat Malaysia Sejahtera”, or “Strong consensus for a prosperous Malaysia”.
In response, Deputy Prime Minister Zahid Hamidi said Mr Fadhli was behaving “narrow-mindedly”.
“Is he crazy or what? This is not a political issue. The National Day celebration is a national event and I think that matters like this should not be politicised,” he told reporters on Sunday.
Retired army brigadier-general Arshad Raji, president of the military veterans non-government organisation National Patriots Association, called Mr Fadhli’s proposal for PN-ruled states to use a separate logo as “arrogant” and said it “plants anti-government sentiments in the country”.
However, PN-controlled Terengganu has said it will use the federal government logo and slogan, while Perlis Menteri Besar Shukri Ramli said the state will use part of the federal theme without the “Malaysia Madani” words or the logo.
The other two PN states of Kelantan and Kedah have remained mum so far.
Mr Fadhli has pointed out that in 2022, the Selangor state government controlled by Datuk Seri Anwar’s PH coalition had an alternative theme and logo during its state-level celebrations.
He also said that in 2012, Mr Anwar had also defended the use of an alternative National Day theme for various states governed by his Pakatan Rakyat coalition, which then comprised Mr Anwar’s party, Parti Keadilan Rakyat, and Parti Islam Se-Malaysia, which is now part of the PN opposition bloc.
A post by user @pemikirmsia on X, the platform formerly called Twitter, said PN was again trying to divide the country with an “us versus them” narrative, and called for the government to choose a neutral theme.
“Merdeka is a golden opportunity to bring the country together. It could be the spark which starts the healing process. Which is why I think we should consider a neutral theme.
