‘Draw the line’ to win next ‘election of values’, Saifuddin tells BN
By Zurairi AR
SHAH ALAM, May 15 – Datuk Saifuddin Abdullah urged Barisan Nasional (BN) today to admit its past mistakes and apologise for them in a process called “drawing a white line” today, for it to move forward and continue its relevance.
In a forum to discuss the future of Malay politics here, the Umno Supreme Council member (picture) also agreed with fellow panelists PAS MP Datuk Raja Kamarul Bahrin Shah Raja Ahmad and DAP MP Zairil Khir Johari that the next general elections will be fought along lines of “values” rather than racial.
“There must be a white line ... First we must apologise for past mistakes. Second, we must affirm that we will not repeat past mistakes,” Saifuddin said here, using the analogy of the starting line in a foot race.
“Then we must start to move forward with a new governance, a new way of politics.”
The word “colour-blind” was used numerous times as all three panelists tried to debunk the “Chinese tsunami” alluded to by BN chairman Datuk Seri Najib Razak and Umno-backed daily Utusan Malaysia, insisting that the current generation has stopped viewing politics along racial lines.
“If it were to be described as a tsunami, it was more like a “tsunami nilai” (tsunami of values),” said Raja Kamarul Bahrin, saying that voters are more sensitive towards issues such as poverty and corruption.
In Election 2013, BN had won the polls but lost the popular vote, prompting Najib to suggest a “Chinese tsunami” had caused his BN to record its worst-ever electoral results.
Utusan has also suggested Chinese voters were provoking race tensions by voting against BN, with one headline last week asking the question “Apa lagi Cina mahu? (What else do the Chinese want?)”.
Saifuddin grouped voters into two categories today – those who desire development, and those who desire democracy – claiming that the trend has shown that more voters are swinging into the later category since Election 1999.
He warned that BN had lost in the area where there are more “hopes for democracy” compared to “hopes for development”, and the coalition needs to transform itself to attract those who did not vote for it.
The former Temerloh MP also rubbished calls for a political unity between Umno and PAS, saying that Malay unity does not depend on such a move.
“Having differing parties does not mean a schism,” he said, insisting that differences in opinions must not be chastised.
All three politicians also echoed each other on the need for good governance, with Saifuddin calling for neutrality among government agencies and local elections to strengthen grassroots politics in Malaysia.
The panelists shared views led to a heated question-and-answer session, as two irate members of the crowd took the chance to attack Zairil and DAP for allegedly sidelining Malays in Penang.
In the aftermath of BN’s result in Election 2013, the maverick Saifuddin has been leading the call for Umno and the coalition to reform, including raising the proposal that members be accepted directly into BN instead of having to join the coalition’s component parties.
On Monday, Saifuddin had also said in an exclusive interview published by the Sin Chew Daily that Umno will be committing suicide if it attempts to bring down its president Najib or leaves the moderate path.