By Zareef Muzammil and Fitri Hazim Hazam
HULU KELANG, July 20 — Selangor’s progress to date is partly due to the efforts by Barisan Nasional (BN) before Pakatan Harapan (Harapan) took over the state administration in 2008.
Selangor Harapan chairman Dato’ Seri Amirudin Shari credited BN for initiating several of the state’s development given its extensive experience in governing for a considerable period of time.
“Who governed Selangor before? BN… Umno brought a substantial part of the development and progress. Now, the (ongoing) progress we have achieved was implemented by Harapan.
“Although we had opposed Umno and BN in the past, this is the time for us to come together as we are now on the same page,” he said at the launching ceremony of the Unity Election Machinery and Operations Room for the Hulu Kelang state constituency, here last night.
Also present were Harapan deputy chairman Datuk Seri Mohamad Sabu and Selangor BN chairman Datuk Megat Zulkarnain Omardin.
Addressing hundreds of supporters from the two coalitions, the Amirudin expressed hope that the Selangor people would evaluate the ability of Harapan-BN to continue developing the state.
The Menteri Besar also slammed the move by several lawmakers in the past for betraying the party to form Perikatan Nasional (PN) and failing to bring progress during their 33 months of governing the country.
“Do the people want the development and progress brought by the BN-Harapan collaboration, or do they want to choose PN, a government that has proven to be unfit to govern Selangor?
“When we put it this way, they (the opposition) would say we are arrogant and called for such arrogant people to be removed. But who are the arrogant ones? The ones who are arrogant are those who lack self-awareness.
“They were given the opportunity to be in the government, but they shamelessly (party) hopped, betrayed, and formed a failed government for 33 months,” he said.
Meanwhile, Mohamad said PN’s deceitful campaigns in the recent 15th general election (GE15) would cause their supporters to turn away from PN and towards Harapan and BN.
He said various misinformation spread by PN in the general polls held last November misled some voters to the point that several Harapan leaders lost in the elections.
Mohamad said among the false accusations that have been made widespread is that female students would be required to wear skirts and the acceptance of same-sex marriages, including lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) relationships, in Malaysia.
“Has the Unity Government, led by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, allowed LGBT? That is one lie exposed and this is what they have been lying about all this time.
“After eight months in power, has the Education Ministry ordered female students to wear skirts to school? Clearly, a lie was told.
“That is why, those who previously voted for PN will be showing their support to the Unity Government,” he said.
Voters in Selangor, Penang, Negeri Sembilan, Kedah, Kelantan and Terengganu, will head to the polls on August 12 for the 15th state assembly elections.
The nomination day for candidates has been set on July 29, while early voting is on August 8.
