Only losers wage politics of fear

Joseph Tawie | August 24, 2012
The daily dose of 'silly warnings' by BN leaders to the public is a reflection of their growing insecurity and fear.
 
KUCHING: Barisan Nasional leaders who go about spinning horror stories about Pakatan Rakyat forming the next government do so because they fear losing power and money.
“Yes, in that sense, it would be exceedingly perilous indeed when the opposition takes over from the BN… because they are the ones who have the most to lose – those who have taken advantage of their positions of authority to enrich themselves at the expense of the people,” said Sarawak PKR chief Baru Bian.
He was commenting on a statement by State Land Development Minister and Parti Rakyat Sarawak (PRS) president James Masing who had reportedly said that “giving opposition a mandate to rule would be political suicide”.
Masing made the statement in support of former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad’s comment that voting in the opposition would be dangerous as many things could be destroyed.
Bian, who is Ba Kelalan assemblyman, said the most to suffer would be the BN elite.
“The BN elite have done nothing of substance to advance the lot of the common people, who have remained poor and stagnant for the past 50 years.
“They resort to giving away money near election time in the guise of a ‘caring’ government.
“An opposition rule will be perilous for the corrupt politicians and their families who have their greedy hands in every project and contract even though they do not know the first thing about the business concerned.
“It will be catastrophic for the selfish leaders and their cronies who have taken away the lands of the natives, who have cut down their trees for profit of billions of ringgit and drown the lands in their insatiable quest for even more wealth, all in the name of ‘development’.
“These are the people who will see their misdeeds revealed just as the cowgate and Scorpene scandals were uncovered,” he said, adding that the people have nothing to lose in voting for the opposition.
Opposition gaining support
He said in contrast to the swindling BN rule, Pakatan offered a record of positively run states – Penang, Kelantan, Kedah and Selangor
“What do the people have to lose by giving a mandate to the opposition?
“They have already lost their lands, their livelihood, their pride, their chance for advancement and now their patience with a government lacking accountability and transparency.
“In contrast, Pakatan is offering a very positive track record of the opposition-run states and the promise to put in place a federal government that is competent, accountable and transparent,” Bian told reporters here.
He said the opposition was gaining support and this was fuelling fear among BN leaders resulting in the daily dose of “silly warnings” to the public by these individuals.
“But the rakyat are now mature enough to discern that the current crop of BN leaders do not have any sound policies to sell or any track record to back them up, hence they resort to selling fear.
“After all, fear is in plentiful supply within the BN clique, and the fearful are eager to spread the fear.
“However, in their attempt to do so, they come across as tired defenders of a government that has let the people down time and again.
“Even now, in their bid to restore some credibility, the Najib administration has nothing original to offer but instead has been implementing or promising to implement policies borrowed from the Pakatan manifesto.
“Examples are the abolishment of the ISA, the formation of the RCI on illegal immigrants in Sabah and ‘Project IC’ and the proposal to lower car prices,” Bian added.

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