DPM: Reject leader whose time is up
People should turn down a head who has lost all his followers, says Zahid
KOTA BARU: The people should reject the opposition pact led by a leader who is gila talak (obsessed with the past), Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said.
“I think the time has come for the people to reject this pact which is led by a leader who has lost his followers,” he said when speaking at the People with the Constituents of Ketereh at the Kelantan Poverty Foundation Complex in Melor here yesterday.
The event drew a crowd of about 20,000 people and among those present were Umno Information chief Tan Sri Annuar Musa, who is also Ketereh MP, Kelantan Umno liaison chairman Datuk Seri Mustapa Mohamed and his deputy, Datuk Ahmad Jazlan Yaakub.
Dr Ahmad Zahid, who is also Umno vice-president, said the people should reject the leader who was given 22 years to lead and whose time was now over.
“Now that his time is over, he should be a respected statesman, instead of making claims that the present leadership is not right.
“Every leader has his own era and the time is over. Do not meddle in politics, leave it to us,” he said.
Dr Ahmad Zahid said he hoped the people understood the principle of togetherness among the Barisan Nasional component parties.
“BN is a political marriage which is permanent, not a mutaah marriage (contract marriage),” he added.
Dr Ahmad Zahid said the presence of the Kelantan people at programmes organised by Umno should be translated into votes for Barisan at the 14th general election.
He said the people’s mandate was crucial for Barisan to form a government and rule the state as the coalition was determined to develop Kelantan.
“The Kelantan people not only want development, but also the contents. (It is) true that there should be a balance between worldly needs and the hereafter, physically and spiritually, but efforts to develop the people are also important,” he said.
Dr Ahmad Zahid said the Barisan Federal Government always gave priority to the well-being of the Kelantan people, although the state was under Opposition rule.
“The Federal Government allocated RM12.7bil under the 11th Malaysia Plan for Kelantan’s development,” he said.
He said the Federal Government also gave priority to the development of the various sectors in Kelantan, such as education, religion, security and social-economy.
In another function, Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi called on Muslims to stay united.
He said despite the many political differences, the point of common interest should always be sought, especially by inculcating the spirit of togetherness among the people.
“We must set aside our differences for the sake of solidarity of the ummah.
“The Federal Government and the (Kelantan) state government might have different political beliefs, but we can still work together in matters involving the people and the ummah, and this must persist indefinitely,” he said at the Aidilfitri Celebration with Deputy Prime Minister at Dataran Rehal. — Bernama