DPM sees ‘big problem’ if infighting continues

By Melissa Chi

October 22, 2011

SERDANG, Oct 22 — Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin stressed today that Barisan National (BN) component parties must cease their infightings immediately.

“Yes I’m worried, to be frank, but of course the only consolation is that not every area has problems,” he told reporters after the Premier Briefing Session of Selangor Barisan Nasional at Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM).

The Umno deputy president emphasised the importance of unity at every level.

He said that he had met with division leaders to immediately fix problems at their levels as well as work on improving their relationships among themselves.

“My worry is that if they take too long or they don’t realise the urgency, to me that is a big problem for us.

“But whatever it is we can manage. As long as we take action now, I have already intervened,” he said.

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak has also repeatedly stressed during several BN functions for its members and division leaders to focus on winning the next general elections as a coalition and put aside personal ambitions.

“As I’ve said, I have already begun the process of meeting component parties recently.

“I have met with the six main parties and we had discuss about the infighting in their respective parties,” Muhyiddin (picture) said.

Although OSK Research has said that BN is likely to improve on its performance in the 2008 general election due to indications of a swing of support to the ruling coalition, he said BN leaders shouldn’t be too comfortable with the positive news.

The report said that the incumbent government was likely to increase its share of parliamentary seats and that most investors were expecting the general election to be held by March 2012.

“I don’t want to dispute their findings but we shouldn’t just depend on that without having to work for it.

“We shouldn’t be too confident or too comfortable. We have a challenging task ahead of us but the most important thing is unity within the party,” he said.

MCA has seen back-and-forth squabbles between President Datuk Seri Chua Soi Lek and his predecessor Datuk Seri Ong Tee Keat with the latter saying the former health minister is not a “winnable candidate”.

Gerakan too, has its problems as Wanita chief Datuk Tan Lian Ho had recently called its party president Tan Sri Dr Koh Tsu Koon to “buck up or step aside” during its annual general meeting.