Not right for Penang to use different Merdeka theme - Hishammuddin

The Penang government not taking up the "Sehati Sejiwa" (One Heart, One Soul) theme of the National Day celebrations is something unusual and provocative, said Defence Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein.

Hishammuddin, who is also UMNO vice-president, said never in the history of the nation in celebrating the National Day had a state leader adopted a theme which differed from that at the national level.

"In fact, Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng had suggested the theme 'bersih' (clean) in the initial stage, what is his motive? "He changed it to "Bersih, Cekap dan Amanah" (Clean, Efficient and Trusworthy) when people got angry. If in the past when the slogan was used by the Royal Malaysia Police (PDRM), it was ridiculed, today when it suits them, they use it in Penang," he said.

He said this to reporters after opening the Jelebu UMNO division delegates meeting here, today. Also present was Jelebu Umno division chief Datuk Jalaludin Alias.

Hishamuddin said a political party must know its limit when politicking.

"If the "one heart, one soul" as independent Malaysians cannot be appreciated, its means everything is politicised, and in the end the people are split, in the end we will not unite, in the end the good things which were done by the independence fighters before us with their sweat, tears and blood to demand for freedom, are futile," he said.

He said if the Penang government did not agree with the theme "one heart, one soul", he would ask Penang UMNO to carry out the celebration using the same theme with the one at the national level.

Hishammuddin also asked the Malaysian Armed Forces (ATM) chief General Tan Sri Zulkifeli Mohd Zin to state ATM's stand on the national day celebration in Penang.

"All agencies including ATM and PDRM (will take part), don't tell me we will march and hold a procession with a theme which is different from that at national level.

"It has never happened," he said, adding that to date, only Penang had picked a theme which is different from that at the national level.