Victory useless if country in chaos: Hishammuddin

KUALA LUMPUR: Winning the coming general election would be meaningless if the country is not safe from terror attacks and is in chaos, said Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein.

Noting threats from the Islamic State (IS) group, the Umno vice-president said the military alone would not be sufficient to curb the terrorism activities that are spreading globally.

“Just look at Syria, Iraq and the others. When they were tested, and failed to defend the public, the ones who became victims are the innocent children,” the defence minister told a press conference after attending the Anugerah Nadi Negara awards ceremony here yesterday.

Hishammuddin said if it were not for the wisdom and struggles of Umno and its leaders, the country would not have remained peaceful until today.

On the recent offensives against IS in Iraq and Syria to force them out of those countries, Hishammuddin warned of the possibility that the militants may look to infiltrating the Southeast Asian region.

“But if it happens, we will fight them all-out,” he said.

At the awards ceremony, 23 graduates from public, local and foreign universities recognised for excellence in their respective fields, especially academic, politics and business, with each receiving RM1,000 cash and other gifts.

The award, which was introduced in 2009 by Wanita Umno, has been given to over 120 individuals to date.