KUALA LUMPUR: Pakatan Harapan should return the job of running the government to Barisan Nasional if it does not know how to run a country, said former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak.
Along with Barisan’s top leadership, Najib sent a message to the Pakatan government that Barisan was now stronger, more united and still relevant in Malaysia’s political landscape.
Najib, together with two other panellists – MCA president Datuk Seri Dr Wee Ka Siong and MIC deputy president Datuk Seri M. Saravanan – showed a united front for Barisan during a town hall session on “Politik Malaysia Baharu” (Politics of New Malaysia) at the Putra World Trade Centre yesterday.
The event was organised by NGO BeNar Malaysia, together with Kepong Wanita MIC, Sukarelawan Malaysia and DSN Supporters Group.
Among other Barisan leaders present were Umno president Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi and MIC president Tan Sri S. Vigneswaran.
In his speech, Najib said the Pakatan government had made many missteps, including discontinuing the Barisan government’s policies that proved beneficial to Malaysians.
“What they should have done is accept what Barisan had done and improve on them (the policies),” he said.
He said that in terms of the economy, the Pakatan government had made two huge mistakes, including abolishing the Goods and Services Tax (GST).
“First, when they (Pakatan) made the announcement that the country’s debt was RM1 trillion, that spooked the market. And when the market slows, it’s hard to recover.
“And when they abolished GST and introduced the Sales and Service Tax, we became the only country which took regressive action,” he said, adding that revenue from GST was used by the Barisan government to introduce programmes that helped Malaysians such as the Bantuan Rakyat 1Malaysia (BR1M).
Najib also said the Pakatan government had lost its moral legitimacy by ignoring its own promise to uphold the rule of law.
“They say rule of law but whatever Pakatan (lawmakers) do is okay,” he said, citing as examples the Penang undersea tunnel project and a deputy minister’s aide who was found taking upskirt videos.
Dr Wee said the solidarity among Barisan component parties did not prevent them from working with any party outside of the coalition.
“We have no problem cooperating with any party even from the other side. We are fine as long as it benefits the people.
“We do not sneer at any party. Our moderation and multiculturalism are our assets,” he said.
Dr Wee was responding to a question on PAS-Umno cooperation, which was compared to the ultra-conservative Taliban faction from Afghanistan.
“We have to think rationally. If the wrong term was used, I will correct it. I am not racist. My wife is Christian while I’m Buddhist, and I live next to a surau.
“If the opposition remains united and fights for the people, we won’t be wrong about it,” he added.
Earlier in his opening address, Ahmad Zahid said the PAS-Umno union did not affect the unity in Barisan, adding that recent by-elections had shown that PAS could help bring victory to Barisan.
Meanwhile, to a question by a member of the public on national unity and the multi-stream education in Malaysia, Dr Wee reiterated that “products from SJK(C) are not necessarily racist”.
“It is the heart and thoughts that matter. We must not generalise,” he said, adding that Najib, during Barisan’s rule, gave allocations to schools from all streams in the country.
THE STAR
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