BN’s pledge: No more dry taps
(NST) – PEOPLE FIRST: Najib vows to resolve Selangor’s water crisis if coalition regains control of state
SHAH ALAM: PRIME Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak delivered a strong message during his gruelling 12-hour campaign in Selangor yesterday: the taps will not run dry if Barisan Nasional regains power there.
The previous state government was more interested in taking over the water firms than resolving the shortage of clean water, which was the people’s basic need, he said.
Selangor was too important to remain in the opposition’s hand since it accounted for 60 per cent of the country’s gross domestic product, Najib said at a meet-the-people session in Taman Sri Muda, one of his many stops during his tour of five parliamentary constituencies.
“If Selangor’s development is stunted, then the national transformation policy will fail,” said Najib, who is also the national and Selangor BN chairman.
He began his tour in Bandar Baru Selayang, before moving by campaign bus to Taman Greenwood, Taman Melawati, Kota Raja, Shah Alam and Sungai Buloh. Besides visiting BN operations centres, he went on walkabouts by mingling with residents.
During the stops, he listened to the issues raised by the people. Water, lack of parking space, uncollected rubbish and poor maintenance of public housing were the most common problems facing residents.
Najib said a Pakatan state government would result only in conflicting policies and indecision on Federal Government-linked projects.
“If Selangor is under Pakatan and the Federal Government is under BN, there will be many problems.”
Najib also took the state government to task for having its priorities wrong.
Instead of finding a solution to the water problems in the state, Kuala Lumpur and Putrajaya, “they were more concerned about taking over the state’s water concessionaires.”
“Their focus is off and they have the wrong priority. Therefore, they are not the party that deserves the people’s support,” he said, adding that should BN come into power in Selangor, the state government would ensure a continuous water supply.
Selangor is the launching pad for Najib’s election campaign, which officially entered the third day yesterday. He was in Selangor on Saturday night to join 60,000 people at a grand dinner in Westport, Port Klang.
He started his tour yesterday with a nasi lemak breakfast in Bandar Baru Selayang, arriving on a bus bearing the inspirational phrase “Menepati Janji Membawa Harapan” (Promises Fulfilled, Giving Hope).
Clad in a dark blue shirt and a white cap, he spent about 45 minutes visiting shophouses and mingling with the large crowd that had gathered.
He proceeded to Taman Melawati for another meet-the-people session and had lunch at the famous Nasi Ayam Hainam stall, before heading for Kota Raja, Shah Alam and Sungai Buloh.
