KULIM – Economic Minister Rafizi Ramli has told Perikatan Nasional (PN) to respect the outcome of the 15th general election (GE15) by focusing on nation-building and closing ranks instead of trying to destabilise the national unity government with lies and slander.
Rafizi said that PN should respect the wisdom and articulation of voters, who did not want any political party to be dominant as the national polls resulted in a hung Parliament.
“But all is not lost as even the Yang di-Pertuan Agong heeded the choices of the voters and through Tuanku’s wisdom, he decreed that the best way forward is national unity governance.”
“And by convention, the party with the largest number of elected representatives – Pakatan Harapan (PH), its leader, who is Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, was entrusted to lead,” he said.
“When all political parties were summoned to Istana Negara to hear His Majesty’s input, which was driven by what the people wanted, it was only PN leaders who rejected a national unity government,” Rafizi said at a mega ceramah here to mark the Padang Serai parliamentary by-election.
As the keynote speaker, Rafizi said that PN cannot blame anyone but itself for misreading the political sentiments and misleading its supporters here in the process.
“So, stop harping on race or religion. Focus on helping the country cope with the coming global recession. Do not be selfish as the ultimate aim of going into politics is to help the people.”
The by-election was called after the seat’s incumbent and previous PH candidate M. Karupaiya died three days before GE15 polling day on November 19.
As a result, the Election Commission has convened a by-election for the seat with polling commencing tomorrow for the working-class constituency.
Karupaiya’s successor as PH’s candidate, lawyer Mohamed Sofee Razak, is Kedah PKR secretary.
When called to address the crowd, Sofee pledged that PH’s principles of caring for all Malaysians would be applied here if he is elected.
Rafizi said the voters’ choice is also a form of divine intervention, as a national unity government that combines the resources and expertise of each political party can gather the necessary strength to help the country weather the impending global recession.
“I don’t know how long this global recession will last. Six months, one or two years – but a national unity government which brings stability and reduces politicking is the best tactic to help the country cope with the negative impact of a worldwide recession,” the Pandan MP said.
He said that Anwar’s first advice during a special cabinet meeting held on Monday was to hit the ground running by focusing on core issues such as lowering living costs, creating good jobs, and food security.
Last night, the situation was briefly tense as bikers supporting PN had stormed through the roads in Kulim, halting traffic in some parts, and they also caused a slight delay to the entourage ferrying Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi and Home Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail to the ceramah venue here.
Later, Saifuddin reminded PN that in most countries the politics of hatred fuelled by race and religious divide would only end up hurting all citizens.
He cited the example of an African nation, where people ended up butchering millions from their own race over religious differences. – The Vibes, December 6, 2022
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