Choosing Opposition is like choosing disaster, says PM press sec

PETALING JAYA: Malaysians have the choice of choosing Barisan Nasional which has “a proven track record”, or the Opposition which has “no track record of delivery whatsoever”.

The Prime Minister’s press secretary Datuk Seri Tengku Sariffuddin Tengku Ahmad said that since Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak took office in 2009, Malaysia had seen several positives.

“Malaysia’s gross national income has increased by more than 50%, 2.7 million jobs have been created, unemployment and inflation have been kept low and poverty reduced significantly,” said Tengku Sariffuddin in a statement yesterday.

He said the Malaysian economy was growing at such a fast rate that the World Bank had to revise its estimates for the nation’s growth three times over 2017.

“The final figure, 5.9%, outstripped all their forecast,” he said.

He said Najib had also introduced some farreaching measures to strengthen democracy.

Among the measures introduced was the Internal Security Act being repealed, restrictions on newspaper publishing licences being scrapped, passing the Peaceful Assembly Act, and allowing undergraduates to participate in political activities by reforming the Universities and University Colleges Act.

“The Prime Minister’s plan for the economic wellbeing and security of Malaysia and its people is delivering, and he welcomes the chance for Malaysians to judge the Government on its track record,” said Tengku Sariffuddin.

“Alternatively, Malaysians can choose the opposition coalition, with former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad at the helm.”

He said Dr Mahathir had jailed his opponents, muzzled the media and freedom of speech, damaged the education system, interfered in the electoral system, and created a class of “crony capitalists”.

Tengku Sariffuddin said Dr Mahathir had also “bent the judiciary to his will” by suspending the Supreme Court and sacking the senior judges.

“This is a man who routinely throws outrageous and false allegations against whomever his opponent is, even calling the Prime Minister a thief without any evidence whatsoever,” he said.

Tengku Sariffuddin alleged that Dr Mahathir has been on a mission to topple the Barisan government since his son Mukhriz lost in the 2013 Umno elections, for which he blamed Najib.

“Having failed to pave the way for his son, Dr Mahathir is now working with the Opposition out of desperation,” he said.

“The truth is that if the Opposition ever tried to form a government, their ideological differences would tear them apart, and their irresponsible and populist economic policies would bankrupt the country.”