‘WE WILL WIN! WE WILL DEFEND PUTRA JAYA!ʼ
AN ebullient Datuk Seri Najib Razak says that not only is Umno ready for the 14th General Election, it is confident of winning. He tells party members to hold firm to the principles of unity, loyalty and service to the people to ensure the victory comes t
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DATUK Seri Najib Razak yesterday put party members in high gear to face the coming general election, laying out three guiding principles for them to deliver a landslide victory for the ruling coalition.
In his fiery winding-up speech at the end of the three-day Umno general assembly, the Umno president rallied his troops, asking them to uphold unity, be loyal (to the party) and serve (the people) in their bid to not only ensure Barisan Nasional retained Putrajaya, but with a bigger mandate.
“There is only one duty for us (to win the election). Please guard these principles forever because they will ensure the strength of the party.
“If you are united, loyal and willing to serve, Umno’s flags will continue to fly high,” Najib said, drawing loud cheers from the packed Merdeka Hall at the Putra World Trade Centre here.
In his one-hour speech amid a sea of blue, he said Umno was not only ready for the 14th General Election (GE14), but was also confident of winning it.
“We are ready. The wind is behind us and the momentum is on our side.
“We will win! We will defend Putrajaya!” he said to loud cheers.
He said the party had the support of the civil and corporate sectors, adding that members must go to the ground and relay these messages to voters.
Yesterday was the first time delegates and members wore traditional Malay costumes costumes in blue, the colour of Barisan Nasional, instead of white like in previous years.
Najib stressed the need for members to work in unison as Umno had resolved leadership issues concerning the top three posts — president, deputy president and senior vice-president.
On Friday, Umno delegates unanimously voted in favour of the no-contest proposal for the posts of president and deputy president.
Party vice-president Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi urged members to grant Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein a safe passage to retain his post.
Najib, in his speech, which received a standing ovation, also asked members to close ranks and resolve issues at the division level so that everyone could work together to deliver results.
“We must love our party and accept the leadership’s decision (on election candidates). We must move and fight together to win big.
“The decision (on candidates) does not come from the heart. It comes from the party. We need to field truly winnable candidates who can deliver results.”
He reminded members of the oath they took during Zahid’s winding-up speech, pledging support to the party leadership, to close ranks and give their all.
Najib said Umno had a development agenda for the country.
He said Umno was a party for the future, and winning the election was paramount in deciding the nation’s destiny.
With Umno as the backbone of the ruling coalition, he listed the government’s achievements in benefiting the people and developing the country, some of which had received global recognition.
Among examples he cited were the Kuala Lumpur-Singapore High-Speed Rail, Pan-Borneo Highway and the East Coast Rail Link projects.
Najib said the current government practised transparency in handing out projects and championed the Bumiputera agenda.
At a press conference later, Najib said he was satisfied with the assembly proceedings as delegates and speakers had been courteous.
“No one shot himself in the foot. This is outstanding because someone usually has a slip of the tongue.”
He said the mood of Umno delegates and members was good and that the momentum was building up well for the party ahead of the election.
“The opposition seems to be very inconsistent with their manifestos and policies. There are also serious leadership problems.”
He said delegates would return to their constituencies with a “winning mentality” as they had been equipped with more confidence to face the national polls.
He said their confidence was on
grounds that Umno had a much better agenda for the people than what the opposition could offer.
“We have proven our ability to implement agendas.
“We have plans, and we are delivering on the plans and will do even more in future.”
Therefore, Najib said, he believed the people would be more confident in Umno as it had a track record of successes in implementing agendas for the people.
On why there was a reminder for the people not to go anywhere next month, he said, tongue-incheek: “It’s the floods.”
He said GE14 could not be later than June.
“So, anytime before June.” He said the government would soon launch the second version of the fair price shop, called Kedai Rakyat 1Malaysia (KR1M 2.0).
He said KR1M 2.0 outlets would sell popular brands cheaper than other shops.
“They are not goods without labels.”
He said this was among the proposals that the government picked up from Umno debaters at the assembly on ways to address the rising cost of living.
He said this proved that the government was focused on overcoming the people’s worries.
He said there would be a greater spirit of co-operation among ministries in implementing joint programmes to address the rising cost of living.