General election is serious business, says Najib
KUALA LIPIS, May 3 (Bernama) -- Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak today reminded the people that the general election is a serious business of evaluating and electing governments at the state and federal levels and not a time for fun.
The Prime Minister said it was important to elect a party that could form a strong government so that the national administration could continue to function without any disruption.
"A general election is not the time for fun, for us to be having a carnival to determine who can win the competition of flags and banners. Do not forget our goal of electing governments at the state and federal levels," the Barisan Nasional chairman said in his address prior to opening the new fire and rescue station in Sungai Koyan here.
Pahang Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Adnan Yaakob, Pahang Housing and Municipal Committee chairman and the BN candidate for the Jelai state seat Datuk Seri Wan Rosdy Wan Ismail and Fire and Rescue Department deputy director-general (development) Datuk Amer Yusof were present at the event.
Also present were Datuk C. Sivarraajh and Leong Tack Mun, the BN candidates for the Cameron Highlands parliamentary seat and the Tanah Rata state seat, respectively.
Najib, who is defending the Pekan parliamentary seat in GE14, said the BN had a strong alliance among the component parties to form a strong government to safeguard the welfare of all communities in the country.
"We cannot depend on UMNO alone to form the government but we can do so with our partners in Sabah and Sarawak and with MCA, MIC and Gerakan here (in the peninsula) who can contribute the seats in the election."
"I have not forgotten MyPPP. We are a BN family. In any situation, the BN government can offer assistance when asked. However, with the others (opposition), there is no chance of them opening the doors even when you knock," he said.
The Prime Minister said he had always maintained that as a responsible government, the government had to be fair and make considerations in an inclusive manner and that the present government had done this.
Every group in society must have the feel of the government, only then can they experience the benefit of development, economic growth and national wealth.
"This is in contrast to some countries where people at a higher level benefit from an overflow of wealth or profit but those at a lower level lack the government touch," he said.
Najib said the government did not believe in an economic system without intervention or a pure capitalist system where, according to him, the economy depended entirely on the market, which would cause only the stronger to derive more benefits.
"This will widen the income gap among the people. As a government, we believe there must be a free market economy but there must be government intervention to distribute wealth evenly so that those with low and middle income will be able to increase their income more rapidly," he said.
At the event, Najib approved the construction of a new Mara Activity Centre in Sungai Koyan, and a new mosque to replace the existing one in Tanjung Gahai, at a cost of RM3 million each.
-- BERNAMA
