Guan Eng slams BN for possible GE15 amid Deepavali

 

DAP chairperson Lim Guan Eng has slammed BN for disrespecting the Indian community by possibly holding the 15th general election (GE15) during Deepavali.

“Apart from selfish political interests, calling an election in the midst of the flood season and uncertain economic times that requires complete focus to deal with these problems is highly irresponsible.

“What is clear is that BN, by holding the elections in the midst of Deepavali, a first in any major ethnic festival since Merdeka, is so disrespectful to the Indian community,” Lim said in a statement today.

He also pointed to Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi’s “Freudian slip” in his recent speech at the MIC annual general meeting (AGM) where he suggested that BN leaders could face criminal trials if their coalition loses in GE15.

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Lim said that it revealed BN leaders’ innermost desires, namely that a BN victory is the “quick fix” to save them from corruption charges, and that they are “desperately” trying to deny this.

Rakyat’s money woes

Meanwhile, he said, BN has no plan to deal with the financial burdens the rakyat is facing due to escalating cost of living, depreciating ringgit and rising interest rates, among others.

The value of the ringgit has dropped to a historic low of RM3.27 to the Singapore dollar and a 24-year low of RM4.69 to the US dollar. It is also continuing to slide against the Indonesian rupiah, having depreciated by more than 4 percent this year, he added.

“The drop in the value of the ringgit will only add to existing inflationary pressures and the soaring cost of living.

“The government cannot deny that Bank Negara is expected to increase interest rates again in November,” said the former finance minister.

Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi

Zahid had said in his speech at the MIC AGM on Monday that BN leaders could face criminal trials if BN lost in GE15 and that this could only be avoided if BN has a “dominant victory” at the polls.

He received criticisms over the speech, with incumbent Iskandar Puteri MP Lim Kit Siang describing it as a “brutally frank” admission that the Umno leadership wanted an immediate election to save the “court cluster” from being charged.

Zahid has since accused his opponents of “spinning” his speech, saying he made it clear that he was talking about political persecution and selective prosecution. - Mkini