‘Coming polls crucial to fate of nation’
> Vital for BN to receive mandate to ensure survival of country in general: Najib
KUALA LUMPUR: The 14th general election (GE14) will be crucial in deciding the fate of the country, said Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Abdul Razak.
Najib, who is also Umno president, called on voters to cast their ballots wisely as the fate of the nation and the bumiputras will be at stake.
He said the Malays and bumiputras will be displaced and degraded to the lowest level if the Opposition receives the mandate.
Speaking at the opening of the 71st Umno Annual General Assembly yesterday, Najib said it would be crucial to ensure Barisan Nasional (BN) wins the elections, to ensure the survival of the Malays, and the country in general.
“The general election will place us at a monumental deciding junction as the choice lies in our own hands.”
“This is not a question to be played on as our struggle at present is serious and there will be no more bargaining,” he said in his policy speech.
Also present were Umno vice-presidents Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi and Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein, wing leaders and the top leadership, as well as leaders from BN component parties.
Labelling GE14 as “the mother of all elections” Najib urged party members to fight for victory, warning that the Opposition has long detested the privileges given to the Malays and bumiputras.
“Are we willing to allow Islam to be belittled and ridiculed? Are we willing to see the position of the Malay rulers no longer upheld, but betrayed instead?”
“The civil service will also be downsized, while our proud Universiti Teknologi Mara will not achieve its objectives, if the Opposition wins,” he said.
Najib said Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia was only being toyed with by the Chinese-dominant DAP, instead of fighting for the bumiputras.
Branding DAP as “anti-Malay” and “anti-Islam”, Najib said the party’s main goal was to drag the nation into secularism.
He also said former premier Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad had crossed the line when he left Umno and joined Pakatan Harapan.
Najib said the strategic transformation under his leadership has strengthened the economy, much better than during the 1997/1998 economic crisis. He said the gross domestic product in the third quarter of this year stood at 6.2%, which was among the highest in the world.