By uniting under a common cause, he said, the organisations could more effectively promote the socio-economic development of Bumiputera individuals and families across Malaysia.

“I am confident that with wahdatul-fikr (unity of thought), wahdatul-qalb (unity of heart) and wahdatul-amal (unity of action), we will be able to achieve the noble goal of uplifting the lives of the Bumiputera community,” he said in his policy address at the Bersatu general assembly here today.

Muhyiddin’s proposal comes after FMT reported that several Malay NGOs are planning to join Bersatu in a bid to strengthen the party ahead of the 16th general election.

A source told FMT several meetings had been held, with discussions focusing on the roles and positions that could be offered to the NGO leaders within Bersatu.

It is understood that the NGOs involved include Berjasa, Putra, and Perkasa.

Muhyiddin also proposed an initiative called “Gagasan Perdamaian Nasional”, which aims to bring together political parties, NGOs, civil society organisations, and community leaders to rebuild Malaysia.

“Bersatu believes that with this united strength, we can rebuild Malaysia to be strong, dignified, and competitive on both the regional and global stages,” he said.

He also said Bersatu plans to organise a roundtable session with a variety of stakeholders, including social activists, religious leaders, artistes, cultural figures and economists, to develop solutions.

At a press conference later, Muhyiddin cited Dong Zong as an example of a giant umbrella representing various groups fighting for common interests.

“For example, the Chinese community, despite having various groups, have come together to form Dong Zong as a collective body,” he said.

He also said it may take up to three years to bring together the Malay and Bumiputera NGOs, adding that the organisers are open to meeting with any of these groups to discuss potential cooperation.