Now's not time to experiment'

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak, his deputy Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin (right) and Sarawak Chief Minister Tan Sri Abdul Taib Mahmud (left) attending the ‘Senada, Sejiwa’ programme in Serian yesterday. — Picture by Ghazali Bujang

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak yesterday reminded the people in Sarawak that the coming state polls were not the time to flirt with the opposition.He said they should not place the country in the hands of people with no experience in running the country.

"We can experiment with other things but not in running the country," he said during a meet-the-people session in Semerah, a coastal village 100km from here yesterday.

Najib, who was accompanied by his wife, Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor, was here on a day-long visit to the state. Also present were Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin and Chief Minister Tan Sri Abdul Taib Mahmud.
During the whirlwind tour, the prime minister took time off to meet his friends on Facebook besides attending meet-the-people sessions. He also went on walkabouts, an activity he started since taking the helm of the government in March 2009.

He also graced the "Senada, Sejiwa" (One Soul, One Rhythm) programme, organised by the state government to foster closer rapport between the people and the government.

Najib said to flirt with the opposition would be a costly mistake as it could put the country on the road to economic ruin, like that in Greece, Spain, Portugal and Ireland.

"The opposition is in disarray. Parti Keadilan Rakyat is not a party of justice. It is a party of 'keluar ramai-ramai' (mass exodus)."

Najib said more PKR leaders, including those in Sarawak, would soon quit the party.

To emphasise Barisan Nasional's commitment to improving the socio-economic standing of the people here, he said the government had allocated RM138.9 million for Sadong Jaya alone under the 10th Malaysia Plan.

"We will be here to help before and after the state election. We are not making empty promises.

"The projects may be implemented late but it will be implemented. The same cannot be said for the opposition."

In Serian, when gracing the "Senada, Sejiwa" programme, Najib said the opposition had lost its credibility and in the case of PKR, many of its leaders had abandoned the party.

He said even former PKR deputy president and founding member Dr Chandra Muzaffar had chastised Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, saying it would be an unmitigated disaster if he became prime minister.

Later at the Kenyalang Park market, a predominantly Chinese area, Naib was mobbed by a large crowd of supporters, many of whom were sporting 1Malaysia T-shirts and caps.

He said the Chinese community had embraced the 1Malaysia concept.

Meanwhile, Muhyiddin announced a RM174 million allocation for a rural development programme during a meet-the-people session at Rumah Wilson Bada, Gran Stumbin in Sri Aman.

The allocation was for, among others, a new secondary school costing RM42.2 million in Lingga and the construction of the Sembau/Stumbin/Lingga road (RM50 million) and Jalan Stumbin/Tanjung Bijat/Stirau road (RM18.5 million).

Other development projects are a RM1.6 million flood mitigation programme for the 51 longhouses and five Malay villages in the area, RM580,000 in rural assistance for 1,022 families at the longhouses and RM1 million for a new community hall in Stumbin.

Later in Engkilili, a small rural town about 250km from here, Muhyiddin announced a RM6.27 million allocation to improve 127 longhouses and rural schools here and in Batang Ai.