Even the Memali incident is forgiven.
Umno’s home at the Putra World Trade Centre in Kuala Lumpur was filled this morning by members of the Malay nationalist party and those of PAS, all jostling to view the signing of an unprecedented charter for an alliance between the two former rivals.
The occasion had required the two natural rivals to set aside decades of enmity born of distrust and betrayal, with PAS going so far as to forgive Umno for the 1985 Memali incident that had once been considered an eternal barrier between the two.
Dressed in the white that is common among both parties, thousands of Umno and PAS members sat in every available corner of the Umno bastion, creating a sea of people that spilt beyond the confines of the PWTC.
Every floor was full of people, to the point that it became hard to walk through the crowd, resulting in some yelling and shouting.
However, things remained mostly calm as people listened to the prayers preceding the speeches.
The crowd was also fired up each time a prominent leader arrived such as the arrival of former Umno president Najib Abdul Razak, current president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi and PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang.
The roads outside were jammed with cars, motorcycles and buses, many of which carried those who will attend the Himpunan Penyatuan Ummah (Muslim Unity Rally) where the historic union will be formalised.
Earlier report: Sept 13, PAS-UMNO Marriage