Pahang Menteri Besar Adnan Yaakob today boldly declared that Barisan Nasional will not lose the parliamentary seat of Bentong because of the Lynas controversy, and he is willing to literally bet his ears on that.
“I tell you, DAP cannot win in Bentong. Cannot win! If DAP wins in Bentong, you cut my ears and I’d jump into the Pahang river,” he said along the sidelines of the Umno general assembly today.
He boasted that even if Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng (left) were to contest for the seat, he would lose.
If MCA loses, he added, the party might as well "close shop" nationwide.
The Bentong parliamentary seat is presently being held by MCA deputy president Liow Tiong Lai, and Adnan’s Pelangai seat is located within.
Adnan was commenting on the possible political implications of the unpopular Lynas Advanced Material Plant (Lamp) in Gebeng, Kuantan.
Adnan insisted that whatever political implications will be confined to Kuantan and will not spread elsewhere in Pahang.
He added that the decision of Kuantan voters in the next general election will serve as a referendum of the Lynas issue.
“If we win in Kuantan, that’s it. That’s finished. Lynas is no more an issue,” he said, adding that he believes BN has a 60 percent chance of retaking the seat.
When pointed out that there are many who participated in anti-Lynas protests, Adnan said, “they are all outsiders! They are all outsiders you know? Supporters from outside. We can identify.
“We take photographs from the top of the buildings, and then we will break it into squares, and then we identified everybody. All (are) outsiders, not Pahang people, not Kuantan. That’s why I’m not worried”.
No sympathy for Green Marchers
On a separate issue, Adnan claimed that he had spies follow the Green March protestors, and found that they did not walk the entire 300-kilometre journey from Kuantan to Kuala Lumpur as alleged.
“Come on, they don’t walk all the way lah. They stop everywhere then go by car, (then) they stop (and walk) where people are there to watch them. These are all tricks lah, I know!” he said, adding that he has no sympathy for their cause.
“I have no sympathy. No sympathy. Because they travel in luxury, in motorcars you know.
“They have their children, then they stop at restaurants eating, sponsored by many people. It’s nothing, so I don’t have sympathy for them.
“If the walk right from Day One or from Kilometre One up to Putrajaya, I think I might have some sympathy for them. But then, I have to send that person for mental check-up first,” he said.
However, when asked, he said he would not persuade the cabinet to cancel the project if anti-Lynas protestors do march from Kuantan to Putrajaya because they had already exhausted all avenues of appeal.
“We have followed what they want. (Kuantan MP) Fauziah Salleh - two years back - she SMSed me saying why not we engage with international bodies and I said ‘why not?’
“We have engaged and they have got a u-turn,” he said, referring to an inspection on Lamp by International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) representatives.
During the interview, the animated Adnan accidently knocked a reporter’s voice recorder off the latter’s hand.
“Sorry, I’ll buy you a new one,” he said before resuming the interview.
“I tell you, DAP cannot win in Bentong. Cannot win! If DAP wins in Bentong, you cut my ears and I’d jump into the Pahang river,” he said along the sidelines of the Umno general assembly today.He boasted that even if Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng (left) were to contest for the seat, he would lose.
If MCA loses, he added, the party might as well "close shop" nationwide.
The Bentong parliamentary seat is presently being held by MCA deputy president Liow Tiong Lai, and Adnan’s Pelangai seat is located within.
Adnan was commenting on the possible political implications of the unpopular Lynas Advanced Material Plant (Lamp) in Gebeng, Kuantan.
Adnan insisted that whatever political implications will be confined to Kuantan and will not spread elsewhere in Pahang.
He added that the decision of Kuantan voters in the next general election will serve as a referendum of the Lynas issue.
“If we win in Kuantan, that’s it. That’s finished. Lynas is no more an issue,” he said, adding that he believes BN has a 60 percent chance of retaking the seat.
When pointed out that there are many who participated in anti-Lynas protests, Adnan said, “they are all outsiders! They are all outsiders you know? Supporters from outside. We can identify.“We take photographs from the top of the buildings, and then we will break it into squares, and then we identified everybody. All (are) outsiders, not Pahang people, not Kuantan. That’s why I’m not worried”.
No sympathy for Green Marchers
On a separate issue, Adnan claimed that he had spies follow the Green March protestors, and found that they did not walk the entire 300-kilometre journey from Kuantan to Kuala Lumpur as alleged.
“Come on, they don’t walk all the way lah. They stop everywhere then go by car, (then) they stop (and walk) where people are there to watch them. These are all tricks lah, I know!” he said, adding that he has no sympathy for their cause.
“I have no sympathy. No sympathy. Because they travel in luxury, in motorcars you know.
“They have their children, then they stop at restaurants eating, sponsored by many people. It’s nothing, so I don’t have sympathy for them.
“If the walk right from Day One or from Kilometre One up to Putrajaya, I think I might have some sympathy for them. But then, I have to send that person for mental check-up first,” he said.However, when asked, he said he would not persuade the cabinet to cancel the project if anti-Lynas protestors do march from Kuantan to Putrajaya because they had already exhausted all avenues of appeal.
“We have followed what they want. (Kuantan MP) Fauziah Salleh - two years back - she SMSed me saying why not we engage with international bodies and I said ‘why not?’
“We have engaged and they have got a u-turn,” he said, referring to an inspection on Lamp by International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) representatives.
During the interview, the animated Adnan accidently knocked a reporter’s voice recorder off the latter’s hand.
“Sorry, I’ll buy you a new one,” he said before resuming the interview.
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