PM Hj Najib: Vote out Pakatan to end oppression of YBK

Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak today repeated his call for the people of Selangor to vote out the Pakatan Rakyat-led government to solve Yayasan Basmi Kemiskinan’s (YBK) woes.

The poverty eradication foundation had in 2010 clashed with the Selangor government after its application to develop a 526-acre land in Serendah for a new Universiti Teknologi Mara (UiTM) campus was rejected.

“When I visited a business complex in Shah Alam previously, the tenants who faced a 100 percent rent increased begged for the federal government to take over the complex. I told them it would be easier if we just took over the state government.

“Looks like I have to repeat it in the context of YBK. Your future projects depends on BN taking over Selangor,” he said at YBK’s launch of its five-year transformation plan at the Shah Alam Convention Centre this afternoon.

Najib said that if Pakatan remains in power in Selangor, YBK would not be able to expand its activities in the state as 473 acres of its land had been seized and another 800 acres have been placed under a caveat.

“From YBK’s history, I can only conclude that its problems arose from Selangor Menteri Besar Khalid Ibrahim’s desire to become the foundation’s chairperson.

“After he failed to achieve his ambition, he went as far as seizing the lands and placing what was left under a caveat,” said Najib.

‘State gov’t cruel to the poor’

The premier was responding to YBK chairperson Zainal Abidin Sakom’s complaint of being oppressed in the state.

“YBK’s land belongs to the poor but they (state government) had the heart to seize it... how cruel they are to the poor,” he said in an emotional tone.

However, he thanked the premier for allowing the planned university to be relocated to Malacca.

Zainal Abidin, who is a former Batang Kali state assemblyperson, also claimed that in January, the state government had also rejected its application to build a centre for disabled persons, despite having a RM5 million allocation from the federal government.

“Today, we don blue T-shirts... we do not have any other choice,” he said in reference to BN’s theme colour.

YBK’s spat with the Selangor government was played up as an issue in the run-up to the Hulu Selangor by-election after its application to build the university was rejected on the premise that it had not paid its quit rent.

Following this, Khalid ordered an audit report on the foundation which at that time was receiving funds from the Selangor government, revealing alleged misuse of land.

The state government has since disassociated itself from the foundation.