BN leaders agree with Najib on Umno’s leading position

KUALA LUMPUR: Barisan Nasional party leaders praised Datuk Seri Najib Razak yesterday, saying his speech and the mammoth gathering at the Umno 71st anniversary celebration last night is proof that the coalition is the right one to continue to lead the nation.

MCA president Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai said Umno would continue to be strong and the backbone of the country.

He said the party had not only fought for Malays all these years, but all races.

Liow’s MIC counterpart, Datuk Seri Dr S. Subramaniam, said Najib’s speech had reminded the younger generation of Umno’s journey over the years.

“Through this, they will be able to understand the challenges Umno had to face.

“The prime minister also used tonight’s event to show that aside from fighting for the rights of Malays, Umno, through the concept of power sharing among the races, had also fought for the rights of other races, which has been the basis of the country’s stability and harmony.”

Dr Subramaniam’s deputy, Datuk Seri S.K. Devamany, said the gathering was proof of Umno’s position as the backbone of BN.

He said the presence of the coalition’s component parties was testament to BN’s strong unity.

“This is a far cry from the opposition, which can’t seem to agree on anything,” he said.

Parti Bersatu Rakyat Sabah president Tan Sri Joseph Kurup described Najib’s speech as “inspiring”.

“I am grateful he included other members of BN in it. Truly, as a BN component party, after hearing such a speech, we are more motivated to fight for the coalition’s cause.”

Gerakan vice-president Datuk Dr Dominic Lau said Najib’s speech also reflected the readiness of BN to face the general election at any time.

“Gerakan is ready to answer the prime minister’s clarion call and we have identified our election candidates.

“In fact, their details have been submitted to the Malaysian AntiCorruption Commission for vetting,” he said.

Gerakan Youth chief Tan Keng Liang said he agreed with Najib that the opposition was divided and did not have a common agenda, while BN was a “united family” with “clear vision and mission”.