DPM: Help all, not just a single race

(NST) KUALA LUMPUR: The people want Barisan Nasional to fight for all Malaysians and not just the Malays alone.

“We should no longer fight for our own race like what we did some 50 years ago where Umno fought for the rights and interests of the Malays, MCA for the Chinese and MIC for the Indians.

“The people now want a new approach and they want us to fight for all Malaysians, not our race alone. We must take notice of this and work along this line,” said Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin.

Muhyiddin, who is also deputy BN chairman and deputy Umno president, said political transformation in the coalition must be parallel with the government to benefit the people.

In order to achieve this, political leaders must work hard to strengthen their party and focus on uniting the members.

“We must work hard to strengthen and unite BN as a whole, not just focus on our party alone. This is vital in order for us to face the next general election.”

Muhyiddin also said BN component parties must realise that the expectations of the people now were different from what it was in the past.

He said this during the opening of the Federal Territory People’s Progressive Party convention at the Putra World Trade Centre.

He also reminded BN component parties of the dire consequences of infighting and factionalism.

Telling them to work along the 1Malaysia concept, he said leaders must ensure the problems faced by the people could be resolved.

Muhyiddin, who is also the Federal Territory BN chairman, also said he realised the problems faced by the people in the Federal Territory.

“The problems faced by the people in the city are different compared to those faced in rural areas, like in my constituency, Pagoh. So, we need new strengths and mechanisms to overcome these problems.”

He said that this was the reason why the government was looking at developing the city under the 10th Malaysian Plan.