Rosnah leaves candidacy to top BN leaders

KINARUT: Deputy Works Minister Datuk Rosnah Hj Abdul Rashid Shirlin said she would leave the matter of her candidacy to the top Barisan Nasional (BN) leaders.

“As a member of BN and current Papar MP, I am leaving the decision to the top leaders. They know best.”

Rosnah, who is on her third term as Papar MP, said she loved serving the people in her constituency.

“I have always got the best of support and I am proud to serve Papar.

“Even if I am not chosen, I will always give my support to whoever that is given the mandate,” she said to the media after officiating at the opening ceremony of Family Care Clinic at Palm Square Commercial Centre here yesterday.

She said there was room for improvement and more things could be done for the constituency.

She said the job of an elected representative came with responsibilities.

Unlike the opposition, Rosnah said BN leaders had been working for the past five years instead of waiting until the election was near to ‘turun padang’.

Asked if she sees the opposition parties including Parti Warisan Sabah as a threat, Rosnah said BN viewed the opposition parties as a challenge.

“We never look down on other people. It is not our style.

“It is better for us to have politics for the people, meaning we have to work for the people.

“We do not believe in undermining anybody, like the opposition is undermining us at the moment saying that this is not done, or this is not right.

She pointed out that BN’s approach was to work for the people, which she hoped would translate into votes.

“I saw the way the opposition is campaigning. They are bashing everybody from top to bottom.

“That is not our style. This is the time to have solidarity within BN in order to tell the people that the coalition is the best option at the moment rather than putting your trust, your mandate to a party that is only about a few years old.”

She said voters should put their trust to the party that had track records to show.

Rosnah said BN was not perfect but the coalition had done a lot of good and hoped to continue with their efforts.

On whether she is confident that BN will once again secure the Papar parliamentary seat and the two state seats, namely Pantai Manis and Kawang in the 14th general election (GE14), Rosnah replied: “I hope and pray (for that).

“I am a mother. I want my kids to inherit a better life and future. I believe BN can deliver that. Not Warisan or Pakatan Harapan (PH).”

She said even if PH took over the government, the opposition pact would need two to three years to resolve their internal issues, which would leave them with no time to manage the country or to bring progress to Malaysia.

Rosnah said PH’s manifesto also lacked concrete plans to develop the nation.

“You want to abolish all tax -- how is the government going to get revenue to manage a big country like Malaysia?

“You want to reduce the civil service -- how do you do that when the civil servants are the engine of the country? How can you just cut off the engine?

“That is my message to the people.”

Rosnah polled 21,196 votes with a majority of 10,535 votes in the 13th general election (GE13), while Mohammad Yahya@Yahya bin Lampong (PKR) and Balon bin Mujim (STAR) garnered 10,661 votes and 838 votes respectively.