Hindu voters get Deepavali 'love letter' from Najib

In conjunction with Deepavali the coming Tuesday, a number of voters in Selangor have received greeting cards coupled with a letter signed by Prime Minister and BN chairperson Najib Abdul Razak, calling on them to embrace the concept of 1Malaysia.

The colourful printed letters together with the greeting card sent through snail mail appears to target Indian voters who are Hindus in the Pakatan Rakyat-ruled state.

The voting details of the recipients are also printed on the letter, including the name, polling district, and the state and parliamentary constituencies.

The one-page letter with the 1Malaysia, BN and other logos that bear the the wordings "Sayangi Selangor, Yakini BN" (Love Selangor, Trust BN) and "Pusat Khidmat Rakyat BN Selangor (Pakar)" (Selangor BN people service centre), carry a special message from the prime minister, in Bahasa Malaysia and in Tamil.

In the 'love letter', Najib highlights his much vaunted 1Malaysia concept, stressing that it was introduced and implemented to strengthen unity among Malaysians.

This concept by BN, he says, can be fully enjoyed only if it is received by the people with open arms, regardless of their differences in race, religion and culture.

"The concept of 1Malaysia is one of the important elements for BN to continue to develop the nation towards advancement."

Najib also touches on the recently tabled Budget 2013 that has proposed various incentives "focusing on improving the quality of life".

"It is hoped that the incentives proposed will reduce the burdens, especially those caused by the impact of global inflation that is being faced by all Malaysians regardless of position and status," he says in the letter.

Najib concludes his message by stressing that the Festival of Lights is a symbol of positiveness as it rejects all negative elements. He hopes all Malaysian Hindus will celebrate the festival in the spirit of 1Malaysia.

This is not BN's first attempt to engage Selangor voters through the traditional campaign route.

During the Malaysia Day period in September, young voters in the state received a letter signed by Najib which, in three languages, urged them to drop the "confrontational culture".