KUALA LUMPUR, March 26 – Barisan Nasional (BN) is all prepared to face ‘parachute candidates’ from the opposition which is reportedly positioning its heavyweights to contest in Johor, said MIC deputy president Datuk Seri Dr S. Subramaniam(Pic), today.
He said the opposition’s strategy to field its candidates in Johor, hoping to win more seats, would not fool voters as they (voters) are aware of BN’s immense contributions to the state. Subramanian who is also Human Resources Minister said the Johor constituents know very well that they can enjoy tremendous growth and prosperity, only under the BN leadership.
“It has become a culture for the opposition to jump from one place to another. The voters know what we have done for the state,” he told reporters after announcing rehabilitation allowances under the Social Security Organisation’s (Perkeso) ‘Return to Work’ programme, at Sau Seng Lum Dialysis and Stroke Rehabilitation Centre in Puchong, near here, today.
“What’s the reason behind this, we don’t know. As far as we’re concerned, we (BN) are prepared to face (them)…just because you land in Johor, that does not mean you will cause a change in the people’s minds,” he said.
“People are totally aware of those who have served them in Johor, compared to somebody who is completely new and coming in from somewhere else to gain popularity,” the minister noted.
On Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak’s meeting with Hindu Rights Action Force (Hindraf) leaders yesterday, Subramaniam said Najib had always put the need of all Malaysians first since he took office in 2009.
“The prime minister has taken various initiatives to address the plight of the Indian community in the country and has helped solve many long-standing problems faced by them in areas such as personal identity documents, education,
and job opportunities in the government sector,” he said.
Subramaniam also called on non-governmental bodies to come forward and engage positively with the government on matters related to the well-being of the Indian community. The BN government had fulfilled its pledge to ensure quality education for the Indian community, he said, citing the government’s spending of about RM540 million since 2009 for the development of Tamil schools. The government had also offered 1,500 matriculation places to top-scoring Indian students, he said.
BERNAMA
