BERA – Acts of sabotage or “cah keting” must stop to ensure the victory of Barisan Nasional (BN) in the 15th general election (GE15) and form a stable government, stressed caretaker prime minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob.
The Umno vice-president said that members should prioritise party interests, because whoever is chosen as a candidate in the election carries the party’s flag. They are not contesting on an individual capacity, and their victory is for BN, he said.
“In the election, many want to contest, and many are qualified to be candidates... It’s okay if you want to be a candidate.
“However, just because we want to contest, we sabotage our friends who are contesting, and do things to make sure they do not win.
“Don’t just think about ourselves. We will rejoice for two or three days because our friends lose, but those who will suffer are the public.
“Imagine the feelings of members who joined the party from a young age, who stayed up at night working for the party…(they will surely be disappointed) to see their own leaders sabotaging each other,” he said.
Ismail Sabri said this when officiating the Bera Umno division delegates meeting at the Bera District Council Convention Hall here today.
Ismail Sabri also emphasised that GE14, which saw BN fail to form the federal government, should serve as a lesson to strengthen cooperation so that the coalition wins big this time and avoids the political instability from change in national leadership, which has happened several times since 2018.
“This election is different. In the past, Umno and BN entered elections with the expectation of victory and forming the government in Putrajaya.
“However, after GE14, this 100% guarantee can no longer be given. We can no longer take it for granted, and we have to work hard to ensure BN’s victory,” he said.
Ismail Sabri, who is also the Bera Umno division chief, also recalled that after the GE14 results were announced – in which he retained the Bera parliamentary seat with a majority of 2,311 votes – the victory was not the same, knowing that many friends in the party had lost.
“Don’t forget and don’t take it for granted. Our experience in GE14 should serve as a lesson. This time, we have to work harder because the Bera parliamentary constituency is different. All eyes are on us here because this is the prime minister’s parliamentary seat,” he said.
As such, Ismail Sabri reminded the machinery of Umno, MCA, and MIC to work as “one family” to retain BN’s victory in the Bera parliamentary seat and the Guai and Kemayan state seats, in addition to recapturing the Triang state seat from Pakatan Harapan.
He also added that work should start as early as possible following his announcement of the dissolution of Parliament on October 10 after obtaining the consent of the Yang di-Pertuan Agong Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri’ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah. – Bernama, October 16, 2022
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