Days of ‘govt knows best’ are over, says Zahid

 

Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, who is rural and regional development minister, visiting a food stall in Simpang Jeram, Johor, today. (Bernama pic)

PETALING JAYA: An era where the government assumes it knows best and knows it all is over, deputy prime minister Zahid Hamidi said in interpreting the outcome of the six-state polls which saw the opposition making significant gains.

Speaking at an election campaign event in Simpang Jeram, Johor, he said voters were sending a signal that the government knows-it-all era has passed.

Zahid vowed to take the signal from the voters and translate it into changes in the state and federal government.

“So let’s forget the story from two to three weeks ago (when the six state assembly elections were held). What we want to focus on is on the coming by-elections,” he was quoted by Utusan Malaysia as saying.

“It is enough that the (voters’) intention (in voting for the opposition) was just to send a signal. We know that as a government, state or federal, the approach where the government is right and knows it all has passed. We pledge to fix systems that are not right,” said Zahid, who is Barisan Nasional chairman.

Voters go to the polls on Sept 9 to elect a new MP for Pulai and a new state assemblyman for Simpang Jeram, to replace Amanah deputy president Salahuddin Ayub, who died in July.

In Simpang Jeram, Pakatan Harapan is fielding engineer Nazri Rahman while his opponents are PAS central committee member Dr Mazri Yahya of Perikatan Nasional and independent candidate S Jeganathan. - FMT