‘BN WANTS TO CONTINUE RURAL GROWTH AGENDA’
This is possible only if it gets a mandate from the people, says Najib
BARISAN Nasional needs political power to sustain its agenda to develop rural areas, said Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak.
Najib, who is BN chairman, said he wished to maintain the pace of the rural development agenda championed by his late father, Tun Abdul Razak Hussein, who was second prime minister.
He said much still needed to be done to boost rural residents’ lives.
This was possible only if the coalition received a mandate from the people in the 14th General Election (GE14).
He added that there was no meaning if BN had no mandate and Putrajaya was in the hands of others.
“Under the opposition, absolute power rests in the hands of DAP, which is why every election is not about a clash between Najib and (former prime minister Tun Dr) Mahathir (Mohamad), but instead a fight between Umno-led BN and the DAP-led opposition.
“Back then, (Dr) Mahathir and (former deputy prime minister) Tan Sri Muhyiddin (Yassin) said DAP was an anti-Islamic party. That is not me saying it.
“Do we think that we can ask for something from DAP? In Lipis, they ask for a sports complex, and I can help make it happen.
“I represent a party with grassroots support in areas like Lipis (rural area) and I sit in Putrajaya due to this support.
“We have to look at the basics of politics and, as a result, I am here today,” Najib said at a meet-the-people programme at Sultan Ahmad Shah Silver Jubilee Hall here yesterday.
He took aim at the opposition’s tendency to grandstand to increase political mileage, such as its decision to make Dr Mahathir the prime minister if it won GE14.
“The opposition does a lot of grandstanding and theatrics (berlakon).
“Just look at how long (DAP adviser) Lim Kit Siang, (DAP secretary-general) Lim Guan Eng and (the late former DAP chairman) Karpal Singh have said things against him (Dr Mahathir).
“Last time, they said they wished to take Dr Mahathir to court, but now, they want to make him prime minister (again).
“They are insincere, where the heart says one thing, the mouth says another. We cannot accept the opposition being like this.”
He said the opposition had denigrated the handing out of government aid, such as 1Malaysia People’s Aid (BR1M), calling it dedak (chicken feed or bribe).
“Now it is making a U-turn and say, in its manifesto, that BR1M will be maintained. On what reason? Because people will become angry if they do not get BR1M.
“We look after people’s welfare. Newborns will get RM200 via ADAM50 (Amanah Dana Anak Malaysia 2050), public servants will get a salary raise to a special grade.”
He announced an allocation to upgrade Phase 2 of the Benta water treatment plant and the construction of a sports complex worth RM10 million in Kechau here.
He visited Kuala Lipis Hospital to view its RM3 million computed tomography machine. The allocation for the machine was made by Najib when he opened the Lipis Umno meeting in July.