FULL REPORT KUALA LUMPUR: Barisan Nasional chairman Najib Tun Razak today lashed out at Pakatan Rakyat, calling its leaders “traitors” and “evil”.
The prime minister said this when opening the ruling coalition's second convention since 1995. It was held at the MCA headquarters in Jalan Ampang.
Apart from calling on BN component parties to remain united, Najib dedicated a lengthy part of his speech to chastising the opposition, signalling the start of the ruling coalition's campaign in the run up to a possible snap election.
Najib, whose attack was mostly concentrated on the Anwar Ibrahim-led PKR, called the Pakatan lynchpin a “deceitful” and “opportunistic” party which was prepared to do anything for power.
"They are extremely dangerous. They will sell anything, including our nation's pride by disgracing our country abroad... they are anti-national. We must fight them at all cost," he thundered.
PKR, he said, was a pact plagued by internal problems and received little support.
Proof of this was the party's recently concluded polls which was marred by allegations of irregularities and low voter turnout, he added.
"This has two connotations. One is that the party does not receive the support of the masses. What I mean is that this party only represents the interests of a certain group that is after power.
"Second is that the integrity and credibility of the party are questioned by its own members. It was their own members that rampaged, created havoc, threw chairs and were disappointed," said Najib.
Pakatan a pact for family dynasties
Most of the complaints surrounding the PKR polls centered around allegations of nepotism, where Anwar was accused of pulling the strings to ensure that his people were elected to key posts.
Najib said while PKR had been the loudest in accusing BN of nepotism, the fact that Anwar was PKR's de facto leader, his wife Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail president and their daughter Nurul Izzah was recently elected vice-president indicated that it was PKR which does this.
"I want to ask, who practices nepotism now?" said the premier.
Najib also said the same about DAP, which he called "Parti Anak Beranak Sdn Bhd (Father and Son Party Sdn Bhd)” in reference to party supremos Lim Kit Siang and his son Guan Eng.
According to the prime minister, DAP was also a Chinese-chauvinist party.
"If you look at the central leadership, despite the fact that Malays and Bumiputeras form 67% of the population, they only have two representatives.
“What is worse is that there is no representation from the Bumiputeras of Sabah and Sarawak.. they are a one race party that has made chauvinism as the philosophy behind their struggle," he added.
Training his crosshairs on PAS, Najib said the party had sacrficed its Islamic principles by collaborating with "big liars, forgers of documents and traitors to the country".
“We know that they (Pakatan) desperately want to take Putrajaya, they want to live in Seri Perdana (the prime minister’s official residence) and because of that, they are willing to do anything to grab power,” he said.
Watch out for four diseases
Najib also warned all 13 component parties of the four diseases that may cause its fall - delusion, inertia, amnesia and arrogance.
Najib said BN must curb the creeping complacency and change its ways if it wishes to remain relevant to the country's now volatile electorate.
"The fact is a party that is too long in power seldom questions or introspect its own weaknesses," Najib told delegates at the convention.
"Firstly, the disease of delusion comes because the party has taken for granted that the support from the people will continue. Secondly, amnesia hits when a party has forgotten its purpose and the original objective of its struggles.
"Next, the inertia disease occurs when parties refuse to implement reforms or make changes.
Finally, arrogance is born out of the attitude of refusing to accept advice from others.
“All these diseases, particularly arrogance, will only result in hatred from the people and disgust in our leadership, he said.
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