Vote BN to maintain peace, harmony: DPM

Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin today spoke about "Malaysia then and now" to highlight Barisan Nasional's (BN) accomplishments, during his campaign to touch base with the Malay community here.

Speaking to more than 1,200 BN supporters in the Pasir Panjang state constituency, he said Malaysia has achieved all that it has today because of BN's efforts and urged the people not to forget the services of the government.

"The Opposition will always say that development in Malaysia is unfair and that it helps only one race and neglects others.

"You can see for yourselves whether the allegations hurled at the government are true," Muhyiddin said.

Stressing that Perak is one of the states in the country that has reduced its poverty rate, he said this could only be achieved under BN.

Pointing to the growing economy in the country, Muhyiddin compared how people lived 30 years ago to the living standards today.

"This is the reason all of you should vote for BN. All these years, people have lived comfortably and peacefully.

"Do you want to change this situation? Do you want a country with chaos and disharmony?" he asked.

Muhyiddin said the Opposition's cries for change (ubah) will not work, because the people are comfortable with what they have now.

Datuk Seri Najib Razak wants a team that can contribute to his transformation policies

OBVIOUSLY the loss of its two-thirds parliamentary majority meant that more than 75 seats in the last Parliament were not held by Barisan Nasional (BN). Simple arithmetic, therefore, would dictate that 33 per cent of the BN candidates for the coming general election should be new faces because those who lost in 2008 cannot be offered again. The overriding fact is that Datuk Seri Najib Razak, the BN chairman, wants a team that can contribute effectively to his transformation policies and take the country out of the middle-income economic trap. And, in trying to restore the absolute majority that has been the governing coalition's pleasure all these years, his strategy must be to field winners.

These two goals together would dictate the need for candidates that have much expertise to offer in building the nation and that the voters can trust. The latter is not the easiest when deciding on new faces and yet they are necessary to BN's succession plan. Herein is where the veterans have a special role to play, that is, to gracefully step down from their safe seats and make way for new blood. The BN line-up must look its part as a party that will usher in the future successfully, oozing with confidence, one from which the prime minister-elect is spoilt for choice when putting his cabinet together.

Indeed, there is ultimately a need for a good mix of the wise and the knowledgeable; the conventional and the radical; and, the established and the novel. However, one aspect of politics that ought to be phased out is the wheeling and dealing that has so often thwarted change and caused disillusionment among voters. The BN chief, in anticipating possible protests from these elements, has said that any unhappiness should be nursed only for 24 hours and then it must be business as usual: the local party machinery cranked up and immediately running to carry the candidate, local or otherwise, forward.

BN is a mature and stable coalition. Already, seats are being swapped by component parties in recognition of demographic changes, a clear indication that the imperative is winning, and winning big. Given this atmosphere, there is little fear of disgruntled voices disrupting the unity that has withstood five years of recriminations since March 8, 2008. Rather, the much anticipated moment to redeem past mistakes is here. Anyone out to stir the hornet's nest will have no support. The priority for BN leaders and workers is to remind the country that the coalition has delivered peace and prosperity without fail.

NAJIB TUN RAZAK TO CONVENE MEETING TO FIND SOLUTION ON RECOGNITION OF UEC TO ENTER IPTA

PUTRAJAYA: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak will soon convene a meeting with the Ministry of Education and Ministry of Higher Education to find a solution that will be acceptable to all on the recognition of Unified Examination Certificate (UEC) to enter local public higher learning institutions (IPTA).
In a joint statement by Najib tun Razak and United Chinese School Committees’ Association of Malaysia (Dong Zong), it said the meeting yesterday, among others had discussed on the issue concerning the recognition of the UEC which relates
to applications for entering IPTA.
“There was a discussion on requirement of students from Chinese medium schools to have at least a credit in Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) Bahasa Malaysia paper along with the UEC, as a condition for applying to IPTA.
“There was also discussion on the issue of accreditation to the UEC Bahasa Malaysia subject,” it said.
Yesterday, Najib Tun Razak met six representatives from Dong Zong at the Prime Minister’s Office at Kompleks Perdana Putra here.
Najib Tun Razak became the first prime minister to have met Dong Zong since it was established 59 years ago.
Dong Zong was led by its chairman, Dr Yap Sin Tian, deputy chairman Chow Siew Hon, vice chairmen Kho Hai Meng and Wang Toon Jui, secretary-general Poh Chin Chuan and treasurer Lim Kock Chai.
In the historic one-hour meeting, Najib and Dong Zong representatives also discussed and exchanged ideas on the betterment of Chinese education in Malaysia.
Meanwhile, Yap said Dong Zong was hoping to get some good news from the prime minister, however, there were some ‘technical problems’ on the accreditation of Bahasa Malaysia subject in UEC which need further discussion.
“We hope to get some good news soon… maybe before the general election,” he told reporters here yesterday. — Bernama