Mark 'X' next to BN, teachers told

The 'gentle reminder' comes from Education Minister Muhyiddin Yassin, who also questions the need for political change.

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Education Minister Muhyiddin Yassin has issued a 'gentle reminder' to teachers in Sarawak to support BN in the state election.

"I urge all to help BN to win big in Sarawak. Just mark 'X' next to BN (on the ballot paper),” he said today.

"After this (the opposition) will say that we are campaigning through teachers, but this is just a gentle reminder, but an important reminder."

Muhyiddin, also the deputy premier and deputy BN head, was addressing about 400 teachers at a 'self-improvement' meet for educators in Sibu this afternoon.

NONECriticising the opposition's election battle cry 'change', Muhyiddin said the developmental plans might be hampered if there is change.

"(The plans will) be obstructed if there are disturbances or change. The opposition has said 'change' but why (do you) want to change (and) stop all the policies on which we have decided?

"If just by looking at it politically - without the big picture and only with emotion - 'change' the opposition way may not be good.

"It will be like tikus baiki labu (literally, like mice repairing the gourd, which means to worsen a situation). They say they want to fix things but they will just make things worse," he said.

Muhyiddin said the BN policies have been tried and tested, formulated by "not one or two ministers, but by consensus, with many opinions taken into consideration".

He added: "Some may say that Sarawak is poor or not developed enough. But Malaysia, on the whole, has reached an elite level in the global arena, and to ensure that our policies can continue without stopping, our programmes need time.

"Overhauling the economy cannot be implemented in just a short time. If you think that our programmes are beneficial, like the 131 entry-point projects already announced, then they should not be obstructed by 'change'."

'BN components help each other all the time'

Addressing the opposition's cry that Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak's extended tour of Sarawak to campaign was a sign of 'desperation and distrust of the state government', Muhyiddin said that it was a sign that the opposition "is running scared".

NONEHe told a press conference later: "What about (DAP supremo Lim Kit Siang)? Does he not trust the state DAP leadership? Or (PKR de facto leader) Anwar Ibrahim, who has been here for the past 10 days? He doesn't trust (state party chief )Baru Bian?

"Then he might as well balik kampung. We are in BN and four of its component parties are based in Sarawak. It's common for the BN chairperson and me as the deputy chairperson to come down and help.

"It's not the matter of not trusting, but (the opposition) is scared. That's a statement that they are scared of the PM coming down. They are scared that they might lose.”

It has been election fodder for the Pakatan Rakyat when Najib decided to campaign in the state for six days, until Friday, which is the eve of polling, with some calling the premier 'Santa Claus' for coming into town bringing goodies.

Muhyiddin also slammed the opposition for bringing up the debacle with the Bible in the Malay language, calling it provocation.

"This is a dangerous trend and provocation to imply that we're anti-Christ or anti-Christian. Since when are we anti-religion? We support the principles of the Rukun Negara, which allows all religions...

"This is a huge lie to say that we are anti-Christian... BN has representation in the cabinet from all religions. We have solved the issue and we respect Christianity, which is practised by a large number of people here," Muhyiddin said. - Malaysiakini