35. PM: Govt ready for general election

BN has fulfilled promises and component parties ready to face constituents, says Abdullah

Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi said yesterday the government is ready to face the general election at any time.
The prime minister said that in every state that he visited, the leaders said that they were ready for the general election and this showed the courage of the Barisan Nasional component parties in facing their constituents.
“For me, this courage is drawn from the people’s assessment of the Barisan Nasional (BN) which has fulfilled its promise to bring success to the country since getting the mandate,” he said when opening the RM4 million Seri Pekembar Pagoh Complex here.
Abdullah said the government had brought about various developments which the people could judge for themselves, like basic amenities, infrastructure, transportation, health and communication.
“This is how the people assess the government’s support for them. In other words they want to know whether we have fulfilled our promises, what we have done to grow the economy and so forth,” he said.
Abdullah who is on a two-day visit to Johor, said that to increase the people’s confidence, Umno, as the backbone of the government, had to be strong and the other BN components must go by consensus to show the leadership’s strength.
He said strength, consensus and struggle were the weapons that could strengthen a party and the BN as a whole.
“Weakness has in many aspects, like for example, squabbling among ourselves. When there is no consensus, the government is not strong, has no influence and will fall.”
He said consensus and struggle would ensure the people’s trust in the BN’s rule for another 50 years.

–Bernama 9/12/07