KAJANG, 19 Feb: Umno has not only failed to show a good example of political ethics to their fellow component partners in Barisan Nasional (BN), but the negative practices of Umno has begun to influence the style and pattern of other political leaders in BN.
The PKR de facto leader, Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, said that the BN component party leader he was referring to was the President of MCA, Datuk Seri Dr Liow Tiong Lai, who was previously known as a leader who did not like to attack Anwar blindly.
“I am talking about matters concerning policy, prices, racial issues, the role of Pakatan Rakyat (PR), the water problem, which is a policy problem, and the people’s problems. But what is being said in the Umno campaign is sex, and being an American agent. It’s not just Umno, but MCA have begun to do so.
“I know that the MCA President has never been rude prior to this, but he wants to show that he is a hero to Umno, so he has started to become rude like Umno, saying that I was involved in the Ops Lalang in 1987.
“(They are) blaming me again. In 1987, the Home Affairs Minister was (Tun) Dr Mahathir, the Prime Minister was also Dr Mahathir. But no one dares to touch the person who made the arrests. I am the one blamed again,” said Anwar in a talk at Kampung Sungai Kantan on Monday.
Anwar added that Umno, the main BN party comprising of Malays who are Muslims, should show healthy politics ethics to be emulated by other parties in BN.
Umno is also seen as losing their direction by preferring to answer policy issues highlighting the welfare of the people highlighted by PR by using racial sentiments, personal attacks and slander, to humiliate their political opponents.
However, Anwar said that he is relieved that the majority of the people are not stuck with the frozen-brain syndrome which assumes that only BN is able to govern the country, disseminated into the thinking of the multiracial society in this country.
