STAYING TRUE TO FUNDAMENTALS
Umno, BN remain relevant because of constant innovation, says Kedah MB
MENTERI Besar Datuk Seri Ahmad Bashah Md Hanipah says Umno members nationwide are anxiously anticipating party president Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s message at next month’s general assembly.
Bashah, who is also Kedah Umno liaison committee chief, said Najib’s presidential speech would set the tone not only for Umno, but also the Barisan Nasional (BN) machinery in the 14th
General Election (GE14).
Question: How important is this year’s assembly?
Answer: It is important as we are gearing up for GE14. Of course, the focus will be on the presidential address by the party president.
Some people asked me whether Umno and BN are relevant, and I told them that Umno and BN will always be relevant because we keep on innovating with the times, and at the same time, holding strong to fundamental struggles.
Q: Umno candidates will be facing off with former comrades in Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (PPBM). How does the party view this threat?
A: The formation of PPBM is similar to what led to the birth of Parti Semangat 46 after a power tussle within Umno. So, Semangat 46, which is now defunct, was formed out of frustrations and personal issues.
The same thing with PPBM.
Like Semangat 46, PPBM was not formed based on fundamental struggles for the people, but to achieve the personal agenda of its leaders.
Eventually, the people will understand what PPBM is all about and the party will end up like Semangat 46. PPBM’s sole struggle is to serve the personal agenda of its chairman, Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, because he is unhappy with the current Umno leadership. Q: PPBM is staring at the risk of not being eligible to contest in GE14 due to its failure to hold an annual general meeting. Do you see this as an advantage to Umno and BN?
A: Ironically, Dr Mahathir is not bothered by this as he said the party candidates could contest under other Pakatan Harapan parties. So, this raises the burning question: what are his fundamental struggles?
PPBM’s issue with the Registry of Societies is also a reflection of the party’s failure to adopt Umno’s structure from the grassroots level, right to the top leadership. They have failed because they couldn’t handle it.
When Dr Mahathir, PPBM president Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin and deputy president Datuk Seri Mukhriz Mahathir were in Umno, the structure was already there and they didn’t have to worry.
Q: The opposition is harping on the rising cost of living and the Goods and Services Tax (GST). These are issues they will likely raise in GE14. How is Umno planning to respond to them?
The opposition is using these two issues to rile up the people because it is drained of ideas.
First of all, the prices of consumer goods are determined by market forces and there is little that any government can do to control them.
As for GST, we should look at other countries that have implemented it.
Even Saudi Arabia, a wealthy country, is introducing GST. So, clearly, GST is accepted by the majority of countries in the world.
Unfortunately, the opposition keeps on harping on this issue although it has been proven that GST collection has helped the government to mitigate revenue losses due to the steep plunge of world crude oil price two years ago.
We have been explaining this to the people, and Umno leaders will continue going to the ground to do so.
Q: Kedah has a history of being a swing state. What lessons should Kedah BN leaders and its people learn from these experiences?
A: The people decided to vote BN back into power after only one term because they lost faith in the opposition.
Kedahans have learnt their lesson that the opposition has no experience in administering the state, particularly with issues concerning rural areas.
That is why in Kedah, I keep on reminding the people not to repeat the same mistake by gambling our future and our future generation’s future.