PRIME Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim and Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi appeared to put aside political differences between their parties as they met during the weekly Cabinet meeting in Putrajaya on Wednesday.

Anwar later shared photographs of himself with Zahid, who is also Barisan Nasional (BN) chairman, showing the two leaders in a relaxed and cordial mood despite ongoing competition involving Pakatan Harapan (PH) and BN in the Negeri Sembilan state election.

The photographs, posted on Anwar’s Facebook page, came after the recent Johor polls and amid continued attention on the working relationship between the two coalition partners that formed the federal government after the 15th General Election.

Alongside the pictures, Anwar shared a pantun carrying a message about maintaining ties despite differences in approach.

The imagery in the poem — of birds moving together and storms passing through — reflects the idea that disagreements and challenges are part of any relationship, but cooperation should not be abandoned because of differing paths.

The closing lines, “Berbeza langkah, jangan putus kawan, selagi muafakat, kita sehaluan”, underline the message that while PH and BN may have their own political interests, their partnership is built around a common understanding.

The public display of unity comes as both coalitions navigate the complexities of being federal partners while facing different political calculations at the state level.

For now, the message from the leadership appears to be that differences can be managed as long as the broader cooperation remains intact. – July 22, 2026