‘Unresolved issues’ will let BN back into Selangor, says Muhyiddin
UPDATED @ 06:31:14 PM 15-09-2012
Muhyiddin said he was frequently asked when the general election will be held. — File picKUALA LUMPUR, Sept 15 — Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin said today the various issues unresolved by the Pakatan Rakyat (PR) government in Selangor were reason enough for the Barisan Nasional (BN) to recapture the state in the next general election.
Muhyiddin, who is also Umno deputy president, said the water, Talam and sand issues reflected the shortcomings and inability in the administration of the state by the opposition government.
“I feel that what is happening in the state has touched the emotions of the people of Selangor and also the people of Malaysia as a whole,” he said when opening the Selayang Umno Division delegates meeting, here.
He said he was able to garner from the several visits to the ground that there were indications the people wanted a return of the BN government in the state.
“People have been asking me when the elections will be held. They said they cannot bear it any longer and want to support the BN in the elections,” he said, adding that the trend was similar in Kedah, which is also held by PR.
Muhyiddin called on members of Umno and other BN component parties to be prepared for the general election which, he said, could be held at any time, and advised them not to sabotage the party.
“The question of returning to power (in Selangor) is not a small matter. It is a question of dignity. Only with power can we champion the people, religion and the nation, and bring development to the people. Are we ready?” he said.
The deputy prime minister said the BN election machinery should focus on the polling districts where the party could interact directly with the voters.
“We do not want a repeat of what happened in Kelantan in the 2004 general election,” he said, recalling the BN’s failure to recapture Kelantan by only two seats, with PAS winning one of the seats, Kemuning, by just two votes.
Muhyiddin said he wanted party members to work 10 times as hard to ensure that the BN recaptured the states which fell to the opposition in the 2008 general election.
On another matter, Muhyiddin reiterated the federal government’s decision to go ahead with the construction of the Langat 2 water treatment plant in Selangor despite objection from the state government.
He questioned the decision of Mentri Besar Tan Sri Abdul Khalid Ibrahim who was adamant about not wanting to implement the project although experts had confirmed that the situation at the 37 water treatment plants in the state was almost critical.
“If the federal government is not allowed to go ahead with the Langat 2 project, a major water crisis may hit not only Selangor but also Putrajaya and Kuala Lumpur, affecting a population of five to six million,” he said.
He said it was learnt that the delay in the construction of the Langat 2 project had resulted in the postponement of about 200 projects in the state because the state government could not issue Certificates of Fitness. — Bernama
