DPM: Unity, key to BN's victory in 13th polls

KUALA LUMPUR: Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin wants all Barisan Nasional (BN)
component parties and affiliate members to strengthen unity and move as
a team from now on to face the coming 13th general election.


The deputy prime minister, who is also BN deputy chairman, stressed
that unity among members was a prerequisite which they should focus on
because it would have a major bearing on the general election.


"We don't have much time. It's only a matter of a few months ahead and
we must show to the people that we are solidly united to face the
general election.

"We may have had team one or team two and so
on but from now on I want us to have only one team, that is Team BN,"
he said when opening the 19th Indian Progressive Front (IPF) Annual
General Assembly, in Seri Kembangan, here on Sunday, July 24.


The IPF, founded by the late Tan Sri M.G. Pandithan in 1991, is an
affiliate member of the BN since early this year. This is the first time
that the annual assembly was opened by the a top leader of the
country.

Muhyiddin said also spoke about the government's
policy to give first priority to the people and said that this too must
be given attention and practised by all members.

He reminded
them that the desire to champion the cause of the people had all along
been the core objective behind the setting up of BN component parties.

"The same goes with the IPF; the struggle is not for the late Pandithan
but for the people, for their betterment. And this effort must
continue," he said.

He called for continuous efforts to enhance
and defend national unity, and said that the people should unite
against any detrimental element out to disrupt harmony in the country.

Drawing the delegates attention to the twin attacks in Norway that
killed over 90 people, Muhyiddin said such incident should not be
allowed to take place in the country.

"If there are groups bent on disuniting us with their narrow political view, we should rise to oppose them," he said.

The deputy prime minister also told about 2,000 IPF delegates and
members at the assembly that the BN recognised the support and roles
played by the party all this while, even though it had yet to achieve
its wish to become a BN component member.

He also suggested
that IPF president, M. Sambanthan, prepare and submit to him project
proposals which the party felt beneficial to the people.

"I
promise to look into it and provide allocations so that the operations
on the ground and the related activities can go on smoothly," he said.