Salleh Keruak: Dr M must share blame if BN loses next GE
Salleh Keruak says that Dr M’s insistence that Najib step down may in fact cause the downfall of the ruling coalition.
(Free Malaysia Today) – Mahathir Mohamad’s doomsday predictions about Barisan Nasional (BN) may turn out to be a self-fulfilling prophecy, said Salleh Said Keruak in his blog today.
The former premier has repeatedly said that BN will lose the next general election if Prime Minister Najib Razak does not step down.
Salleh, who is Speaker for the Sabah State Legislative Assembly, said that voters may reject the ruling coalition at the ballot box as a result of Mahathir’s remarks.
“Therefore if this does happen, Dr Mahathir has to share the blame. He is the one spreading panic with his doomsday talk,” said Salleh, who is also former Chief Minister of Sabah.
Salleh then went on to critique Malaysia’s status in relation to Mahathir’s 1990 national development blueprint, Vision 2020.
Mahathir today said that he doubted Malaysia would become a developed nation by the year 2020, as he had hoped.
Development, he said, was not only linked to a high per capita income, but also to an environment driven by ideas and innovation.
This included having the capability to design and develop state-of-the-art technological products, having a strong representation of educated people, and fully understanding the idea of democracy.
Mahathir also said that Malaysia should craft its own mould of development and not mimic other countries outright.
Salleh was scathing about this statement.
