Mahdzir: Party members should learn from mistakes in 2008 General Election

BERA: Umno members should learn from mistakes made in the 2008 general election which resulted in the opposition capturing Selangor, Penang, Kedah, Perak and Kelantan, Umno Supreme Council member Datuk Seri Mahdzir Khalid said yesterday.

As such, Umno members should buck up and redouble efforts to ensure a big win for the party in the coming general election, he said.

He added that attempts by the opposition to bring down the government under the leadership of Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak by spreading libelous statements on the country’s leadership should not be looked at lightly.

“We should not entertain or focus on other things but preparations for the general election, because we cannot take lightly the matter with the opposition trying to win support.

“We also have to remember although they have Tun M (Dr Mahathir Mohamad) and (Tan Sri) Muhyiddin (Yassin), their leader is still Lim Kit Siang (DAP adviser),” he said when opening the Bera Umno Wanita, Youth and Puteri delegates’ meeting yesterday.

Present were Rural and Regional Development Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob, who is Bera Umno division leader, and leaders of the party wings in the division, namely Sabariah Saidan (Wanita), Mohd Zoolihsan Ahmad (Youth) and Salmiah Ab Rahman (Puteri), as well as Kemayan assemblyman Datuk Fadil Osman and Guai assemblyman Datuk Norol Azali Sulaiman.

Mahdzir said Umno members should be loyal to their leaders and be open to discussions to resolve problems in the party.

“It is not right for members to leave (the party) when there is problem and then say bad things about the leadership and the country to foreign countries, or call the foreign media, after being 22 years in the party,” he said.

Mahdzir, who is also education minister, said Umno was not a racist party, although it struggled for the Malay cause.

This, he said, was proven with vernacular schools being allowed to operate despite the country being helmed by an Umno leader since independence.

“The welfare of the Orang Asli is also looked after. There are 90 schools for Orang Asli community in the peninsula, with 55 of them providing hostel facilities so that the Orang Asli children do not have to commute daily to seek knowledge.

“All these are the results of efforts by Umno to ensure the people receive benefits from the country’s development,” he said. Bernama