Najib hails Tun Abdullah as true statesman
KEPALA BATAS, May 5 (Bernama) -- Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak today hailed former prime minister Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi as a true statesman and UMNO leader.
The Prime Minister said Abdullah, who was once the MP for Kepala Batas, had never wavered in his support for Barisan Nasional (BN) through thick and thin.
"Tun Abdullah is aware that as long as there is BN, our struggle (to champion the people) can continue," he said when addressing a meet-the-people session in the Kepala Batas parliamentary constituency here.
Najib said Abdullah could accept differences of opinion from any leader but adopted the approach recommended by Islam, which is through consultation.
"This is in contrast to another former party leader who wants to burn down our (BN and UMNO) house that we have built together, a house that provides us shelter from the hot sun," he said in reference to former prime minister and now opposition Pakatan Harapan chairman Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad.
Najib urged BN component party members not to allow Dr Mahathir to demolish the BN and UMNO house because much remained to be done for the people.
He reminded the people that Dr Mahathir no longer reflected the 'future face' of the country.
He said the people should not continue to live in the nostalgia of the 22-year administration of Dr Mahathir who was now heading the opposition.
"Don't tell me we must live in such nostalgia when we have many plans to move forward to drive success and lift Malaysia's prestige to the level of the developed countries," he said.
Najib said the people must be with the BN in taking the country to a better future, comparable to that of the developed nations.
-- BERNAMA
