2025-08-01,KUALA LUMPUR

Nearly 30 DAP members of parliament made a historic visit to the Umno headquarters at Menara Dato Onn earlier this week, signalling growing maturity and cooperation within the unity government.

The MPs were attending a briefing on Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET), hosted by Deputy Prime Minister and Umno president Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, who also chairs the national TVET Council.

Kota Kinabalu MP Chan Foong Hin, in his Facebook post, described the occasion as a first for both parties, marking a significant milestone in post-GE15 political collaboration.

"It marked the first time that such a large group of DAP MPs visited Umno's headquarters, a sign of maturity and cooperation within the unity government," Chan said.

"The Madani government is not perfect. But we are serious in discharging our responsibilities. We are working to overcome ideological and party differences for the sake of national progress. Nation-building requires unity, not uniformity, and that's the spirit we're committed to," he said.

Among the DAP leaders present were party secretary-general Anthony Loke, adviser Lim Guan Eng, and vice-chairman Chong Chieng Jen.

The meeting also saw the attendance of Umno vice-president Datuk Seri Johari Abdul Ghani and Umno secretary-general Datuk Dr Asyraf Wajdi Dusuki, reflecting the broad-based support behind the government's TVET reform agenda.

Umno's alliance with DAP in the formation of the unity government following the 2022 general election marked a dramatic shift in Malaysia's political dynamics. Once fierce adversaries, the two parties have since taken steps to demonstrate a new spirit of bipartisan cooperation.

In June last year, Loke made headlines as the first DAP leader to attend the Umno general assembly alongside Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim. Several months later, Zahid, Asyraf and Barisan Nasional secretary-general Datuk Seri Dr Zambry Abdul Kadir attended DAP's national convention.

The rare show of unity comes amid a series of developments that have further defined the government's agenda in recent weeks.

Among them was the tabling of the 13th Malaysia Plan (RMK13) by Anwar, which sets out a strategic five-year blueprint to elevate Malaysia into a formidable middle power. The plan outlines long-term priorities in economic resilience, innovation and inclusive growth.

Separately, Malaysia also secured a revision to a previously imposed 25 per cent US import tariff, bringing it down to 19 per cent. The move is expected to benefit local industries, especially rubber glove and furniture manufacturers, who can now compete on a more level playing field with Asean counterparts.

Chan said these achievements demonstrated that the government's consistent, strategic approach was yielding results.

"PMX has proven that his strategy works, and it's time we continue to stand behind him," he said.