Penang CM: BN snarling as polls near | Free Malaysia Today

Penang CM: BN snarling as polls near

Queville To | September 16, 2012

Lim says that his worst fear in facing the coming general election is that the BN government will do anything to stay in power. 

KOTA KINABALU: A series of recent incidents targeting Pakatan Rakyat has given Malaysians a clear picture of the type of government in power, Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng said here on Saturday.

The DAP secretary-general who is in the state to attend the Malaysia Day celebration organised by Pakatan Rakyat, in Tuaran on Sunday said the culture of intolerance and fear was threatening to damage the nation as general election looms.

Lim was referring to a series of attacks on DAP offices in his state and on the PKR convoy in various parts of the peninsula.
He said however that the general election would provide an avenue for the electorate to voice their opinion forcefully on the direction the Umno-led Barisan Nasional government was taking the country.

“This offers the people a clear choice on whether they want to support a political party that breeds the culture of hatred … violence, or to choose Pakatan Rakyat that fights for people-centric policies that not only benefit the rakyat but also give a bright future for our future generations.

“This is the difference between hate and love, violence and non-violence, despair and hope. I think it gives the people a clear choice,” he said.

The Penang Chief Minister however said that his worst fear in facing the coming general election was that the BN government would do anything to stay in power.

“They (Barisan Nasional) will cheat, they will lie, they will buy and they will threaten. First they will lie, if they cannot lie, they will try to buy, if they cannot buy, they will try to instil fear … that is threaten you,” he said.
Lim also said he was not optimistic about electoral reforms promised by the government and that the Bersih demands would not be met.

He said this could be seen from the way the Election Commission (EC) was behaving … “more like a spokesperson for BN instead of being a statutory body that conducts election freely and fairly”.

On Pakatan Rakyat’s desire to have a one-to-one contests between the opposition and BN, Lim said: “Wherever possible, within the Pakatan framework, we will try to have a straight fight.”

He urged local opposition parties who have yet to join the opposition coalition to “listen to the people of Sabah” to see how they can all work together to bring about change and meet the aspirations of the electorate.