Umno-PAS electoral pact good for BN — Mawan
KUCHING: Saratok MP Tan Sri William Mawan supports Barisan Nasional ( BN) chairman Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak in his capacity as Umno president to negotiate with PAS leaders over an electoral pact.
He reasoned that this political plan would strengthen Umno, in particular and BN, in general.
“The Umno-PAS electoral pact is initiated to strengthen Umno. If Umno is strong then BN is also strong, and so too will be the smaller parties within the BN family. The impact of this pact will be felt at the federal level. By the same token, if Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu ( PBB) is strong then the state BN will also be strong,” said Mawan when met here yesterday.
Mawan added that Najib, a seasoned politician, would not be sitting down when the opposition from all sides, is trying its very best to topple the BN.
He claimed that former prime minister and former Umno president Tun Dr Mahathir Mohammad, who is now the advisor of the opposition fold, is going all out to dislodge Najib by tearing down Umno, perhaps temporarily.
Therefore, Najib has to fend off this attack on Umno because he is the current Umno president by playing all cards including an electoral pact with PAS.
“BN component parties have to support Umno in order to consolidate the BN, more so now when BN is facing the people in the coming general election,” he said.
On the suitability of PAS as Umno’s partner in the next general election, Mawan said PAS is one of the formidable forces in Peninsular Malaysia. PAS is a mature party in politics.
“When almost all, if not all members of the opposition staged a walkout during the tabling of the last Budget in Parliament by the prime minister ( Najib), PAS leaders and MPs all stayed put in the chamber to listen to him ( Najib). This shows their maturity in politics,” Mawan said.
It’s important not to be rude during any budget speech proceeding.
He said it would be good if all sit down and listen to the prime minister complete reading the National Budget.
On fears of some quarters that the Umno- PAS electoral pact would lead to the Islamisation of Malaysians, Mawan has this to say: “Do not paint a bleak picture for ourselves every time there is a move by BN. We are a united Malaysian nation. We should be supporting whatever overtures made by the government.
“When the whole world is being Islamised, we ( Malaysians) will survive it through moderation. Why should we see ghost behind every shadow? We should be giving chance, a chance. If that is not logical then it is logic upside down,” said Mawan who is the only direct BN elected representative in Malaysia. He is also Pakan assemblyman.