Zahid hits out at ex-BN leaders

SEPANG: Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi yesterday reminded veteran Barisan Nasional leaders now backing the opposition not to be arrogant.

He said they became great because of the opportunity and support provided by the people and the party when they were national leaders.

“One must not be arrogant when one is elected as state assemblymen and MPs. We won not because we are great, and this goes for the former ministers who now oppose us.

“They were great because we and the party supported them. They became great because of BN,” he said at a meeting with the Sepang parliamentary BN machinery here.

He was apparently referring to several former Umno ministers, including Tun Daim Zainuddin and Tan Sri Rafidah Aziz, who have openly supported the opposition in the ongoing election campaign.

Ahmad Zahid said the same was true in the case of Pakatan Harapan chairman Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad who, when he was the prime minister for 22 years, caused various problems, including with the Institution of the Rulers, the judiciary and other countries.

“We, in Umno and BN, made them great. We are the loyal ones,” he said, adding that Dr Mahathir was now opposed to the BN government because he felt that he had something left to accomplish.

“The party belongs to the people. We are the leaders because the people elected us, not because we are great,” he said.

Ahmad Zahid also urged the BN machinery and voters to be wary of the slander tsunami of the opposition in the final hours before polling on Wednesday, pointing out that the BN had lost twice, in 2008 and 2013, in Selangor because of the opposition slander.