We’ve implemented “some” Pakatan promises, says Najib

BN chairman Najib Tun Razak said “toppling" the government through an uprising akin to the Arab Spring would bring more harm than good.

SIBU: Caretaker Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak admitted last night that his Barisan Nasional government has “implemented” some of Pakatan Rakyat’s promises and was committed to making more  changes “gradually”.

“We cannot reduce everything at once. In fact we have implemented some of their promises,” he said, alluding to Pakatan’s manifesto which pledged to reduce oil prices, tolls and abolish the contentious PTPTN loans to students.

Najib was in Sibu yesterday to shore-up support for BN parliamentary seat candidates Lau Lee Ming (Bandar Sibu) and Tiong Thai King (Lanang).

He said although BN was “not perfect”, they were willing to change and had done “better” than the opposition pact.

Najib, who is also BN chairman, said the people could choose to pursue a radical change like the ‘Arab Spring’ or allow the government to make gradual changes.

“Toppling the government through an Arab Spring-like uprising would bring more harm than good to the people.  We are changing gradually.

“Barisan Nasional (BN) may not be perfect, but we actually did better than them. The country’s development is on the right path under the BN government,” he said.

Urging the people not to fall for the opposition’s false promises, he said as the country’s Finance Minister, he knew it is not easy to lower oil prices and tolls or abolish PTPTN as promised by Pakatan.

“Many aspects needed to be taken into consideration. Change must be gradual. You cannot reduce everything at once,” he said.

He said in the Malaysian context, investors, who were confident in the BN transformation policy, would aspire for continuity of the government.

“The country’s development is on the right path under the BN government.

“For the investors, a country’s stability is vital. The opposition is incapable of forming a stable and successful government because their alliance is not formed in through similar understanding (as BN),” Najib said.

I need you, says Najib
He added that the ideological differences between PAS and the DAP and the turmoil within PKR would trigger squabbles and this would eventually lead to political instability.

“With DAP and PAS continuing to argue on hudud and overlapping of PAS and PKR candidates in this election, we are confident that the discordant alliance will only continue to quarrel if they were to form the government,” he added.

He also thanked Siburians for returning to BN.

BN through Sarawak United Peoples Party (SUPP) lost Bandar Sibu, which BN had held for  24 years, to opposition DAP in a by-lection in 2010. State DAP chairman Wong Ho Leng wrested the seat by a hairline 398 votes majority.

“We lost narrowly in Sibu before, but now a change has occurred and the people are coming back to BN.

‘I will work hard and do my best for the people of Sibu, Lanang and Sarawak, but I cannot do it alone. I need my team to help me.

“The strength I have is derived from you the people’s trust in me. So I need you to vote for my friends who are standing in Sibu and Lanang and in 220 (parliamentary) constituencies in the country under the BN’s banner,” he said.