By Shannon Teoh
KUALA LUMPUR, May 11 — Datuk Seri Najib Razak rallied Umno tonight to defend the country from being destroyed by the opposition, which he called uncivilised, undemocratic and lacking credibility.
The Umno president told at least 50,000 in the arena and thousands more loitering outside “not to let our children and grandchildren become destitute (terbangsat).”
“Umno has come so far and prospered every inch of this land. Don’t let it be destroyed by irresponsible parties,” he said on live national television.
Before a sea of people clad in Umno’s red that flooded the National Stadium here, Najib said the real purpose of the opposition-backed Bersih rally was to “fight, kick and strip the police.”
“If there were no clashes, then there is no story for CNN, BBC and Al-Jazeera. That is their real purpose: To show we are a cruel government,” he said referring to the violence that was sparked at the April 28 rally.
Police had dispersed tens of thousands who rallied for free and fair elections with tear gas and water cannon after some breached a police barricade at Dataran Merdeka, which the courts had barred to the public over the weekend.
“Police were beaten up with baseball bats until they vomited blood. Are these civilised people?” he said in his address at the party’s 66th anniversary.
“If we in this stadium wanted to, we could take Dataran Merdeka. There are more of us than them.
“But Umno upholds the law. That is why we will not allow this... Umno will protect the dignity and image of the country,” he said.
The prime minister also accused opposition parties of being undemocratic, singling out “leaders who are not elected by their members” such as PKR de facto leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.
“When their leader says street protests are not good, his senatorship is not renewed. This party calls itself democratic,” he added, referring to DAP vice chairman Tunku Abdul Aziz Tunku Ibrahim.
“I call on all not to be poisoned by the theatrics of the opposition, which will only lead to failure,” he said to loud cheers from a raucous crowd.
Najib had arrived at 8.40pm and waved to the crowd as he took a lap in an open-top cart before joining other top Umno leaders on-stage.
He spoke amid deafening noise after students from Limkokwing University College of Creative Technology led the crowd in singing “you are our inspiration” to the prime minister.
Even the master of ceremonies’ plea for a deafening blare of horns to stop during Najib’s speech went unheeded, as the crowd only pausing when Islamic affairs minister Datuk Seri Jamil Khir Baharom said the opening prayers.