Penang UMNO Invited To Discuss GE14 Manifesto With Central Leaders




GEORGE TOWN, Aug 20 (Bernama) -- Penang UMNO has been invited to a meeting to discuss on the manifesto of the upcoming general election (GE) with the party's central leadership, to ensure that the pledges in the manifesto would be unique and different from before.

UMNO Supreme Council member Datuk Seri Abdul Rahman Dahlan said a new, more aggressive approach in the manifesto was crucial to ensure the victory of UMNO and Barisan Nasional (BN), as well as in wrestling back the state from DAP.

"I will refer to the BN and state UMNO leadership for the meeting to be held in September. As the minister in charge of the economic planning unit (in the Prime Minister's Department), I have plans for the next five years and we will see what can we promise to the people of Penang.

"People are getting fed up and disgusted as the DAP-led state government kept toying with their mandate. The Penang political dynamics are now much in favour of BN, both in terms of Malay and non-Malay support," he told reporters after launching the Bukit Gelugor UMNO Division delegates conference here today.

Abdul Rahman said the fact that UMNO was the welfare champion regardless of race and religion was not rhetorical, but it contained in the party's constitution which emphasised the interests of the Malays and other races.

Earlier in his speech, Abdul Rahman said the focus of BN's manifesto for Penang was also to reduce the power of the chief minister, which has been seen as problematic.

"We know that the (current) chief minister has a strong power over the local authorities...too strong that even the people are afraid of the chief minister, hence causing the state to be deluged with problems. The future chief minister from BN will have a lot of check and balance," he said.

Meanwhile, he also reminded the Penang DAP government not to be too arrogant in practising their politics of hate as it would affect the development of the state, especially in terms of investment.

He said investors were now more likely to invest in BN-led states to avoid any problems.

-- BERNAMA