7 April 2013-Zaid Ibrahim(pic), the vocal former minister in the Prime Minister’s Department, has pleaded to Malay voters to back the opposition in the coming polls for, if Pakatan Rakyat is stronger, they will get even more cash handouts in the event that BN wins.
In his blog posting yesterday, Zaid said Malays formed the largest block of voters and he called on them to give the opposition the opportunity to form the next government.”A new government will enable you to make a comparison with the one we have now. You have been told time and time again that no one, besides Umno-BN, can govern and protect you.
“But wouldn’t it be better for you to try to find out for yourself? How can we know if Pakatan will be worse than Umno if we do not give it a chance?” Zaid (left) asks.
He said it made sense to vote for Pakatan because the opposition coalition has more Malays members than the BN, “and for this they will not harm you”.
In fact, he said, money and projects have only been given to the people because the opposition was strong and if the latter gets stronger in the event that BN wins GE13, the people will still benefit.
“If the opposition had been weak, you wouldn’t have got the 1Malaysia People’s Aid (BR1M 1.0 and BR1M 2.0). It makes sense to vote for the opposition if you want more from the BN. Learn to value your votes to improve your livelihood,” Zaid urged them.
He said Umno would use scare tactics by telling the people that Islam would no longer be the official religion and that the Malay rulers would disappear if the opposition won in the coming election.
Zaid advised the voters to ask their children and grandchildren if this was true.
Let PAS be your ‘protector’
He said the Malays needed to change their loyalty and instead support PAS as their “protector”.
“PAS is a Malay party, just like Umno. The difference is that PAS has never been entrusted to rule the country,” he said.
“If the Malays can give Umno 50 years to govern, surely it’s not too much to give PAS at least five years. The opportunity for PAS to rule (in the coalition, of course, with PKR and DAP) is a historic moment for the Malays to seize.
“If PAS is not able to govern well, then the people can always go back to Umno. Choice is what the Malays need for their own well-being – for they have not had it in the last 50 years,” he exclaimed.
Zaid conceded that it would not be easy to persuade the Malays to go against the present leaders.
The Malays, he added, would be told to be grateful and that BN and the government were one and the same, so that if they wanted more from the government, only the BN leaders could help them.
“Again, I urge you to talk to your children and grandchildren. The monies or salaries that BN leaders give in exchange for votes do not belong to them, but to the people of this country. It’s wrong for leaders to bribe you for votes.
“They have not been sincere to you. It’s not wrong for you to vote for the leader or party of your choice and still keep the money.
“In fact, if you vote for the opposition, then the BN will have to give you more next year. Either way, you win by supporting the opposition,” Zaid enthuses in his blog
