2 theSun | TUESDAY JULY 7 2009

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Victory hinges on how we stop opposition onslaught, says DPM

KUALA KRAI: Barisan Nasional’s victory
in the Manek Urai state by-election on July
14 hinges on the success of its election
machinery in thwarting the opposition
onslaught, says Umno deputy president
Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin.
He said the credentials of the BN can-
didate was not good enough to determine
victory without the support of the election
machinery in winning the hearts of the
people.
“We have high hopes, but we have to
work sincerely and diligently. The fight is
getting very close. We have to be commit-
ted and determined while party workers
must work hard,” he told reporters at the
nomination centre in SMK Sultan Yahya
Petra I here yesterday.
The Manek Urai state by-election is
a straight fight between BN’s Tuan Aziz
Tuan Mat, 39, and Mohd Fauzi Abdullah,
50, of PAS. While admitting that Manek
Urai is a PAS stronghold, Muhyiddin
brushed aside the perception that the vot-
ers’ sentiment was not in BN’s favour.
“BN wants to help the people and rep-
resent all races,” he said, adding the BN
could repeat the success of the Pengkalan
Pasir state by-election victory in 2005.
Muhyiddin asked Manek Urai voters to
give the opportunity to BN to continue the
development agenda in the constituency.
He said BN would stress on the need for Tuan Aziz (left)
physical development to be in tandem shakes Mohd
with the Islamic development concept Fauzi’s hands at
propagated by PAS since wresting Kelan- the nomination
tan from the BN in 1990. centre yesterday.
“We have to get closer to the people, to
correct the misconception on certain issues
raised by opposition leaders including the
Kelantan mentri besar,” said Muhyiddin,
adding that Manek Urai voters should not
be obsessed with the views of PAS leaders.
Earlier, Muhyiddin accompanied Tuan
Aziz to the nomination centre along with
Kelantan Umno chairman Datuk Mustapa
Mohamed and several cabinet ministers.
– Bernama

M’sia committed to tackling It’s BN vs PAS in

Manek Urai
KUALA KRAI: The Manek Urai Mohd Fauzi was accom-

human trafficking, says Najib

state by-election on July 14 is
a straight fight between Ba-
risan Nasional (BN) candidate
Tuan Aziz Tuan Mat and Mohd
Fauzi Abdullah of PAS.
Returning officer Adnan
Hussin announced the list of
PUTRAJAYA: Datuk Seri candidates at 11.10am out-
Najib Abdul Razak yesterday side the nomination centre in
assured Australia that Ma- SMK Sultan Yahya Petra 1’s
laysia would do all it could Dewan Petra here yesterday.
to prevent illegal immigrants The announcement was
from slipping into Australia, greeted by a thunderous ap-
and did not want this country plause from the sea of BN and
to be a transit point. PAS supporters.
The prime minister said Tuan Aziz, 39, was the first
security agencies of both coun- to file his papers at 9.05am
tries would work together, in- followed shortly by Mohd
cluding in the areas of patrol, Fauzi, 50.
surveillance and exchange of The nomination process
intelligence. proceeded smoothly despite
“We have agreed that the presence of thousands of
defence chiefs of both nations party supporters.
would discuss other ways in Deputy Prime Minister Tan
combating human traffick- Sri Muhyiddin Yassin earlier
ing,” Najib told reporters at a led BN supporters in a 2.4km
joint press conference with his march from the Kuala Krai
Australian counterpart, Kevin Umno office to the nomina-
Rudd, at the former’s office tion centre at about 7.20am.
here. Among Umno leaders
Rudd is making a stopover present were BN election
here en route to a six-day director for Manek Urai Datuk
foreign trip. Mustapa Mohamed, all three
BERNAMAPIX
panied by PAS supporters led
by spiritual leader Datuk Nik
Abdul Aziz Nik Mat in a 2km
march from the al-Jauhar
Mosque in Guchil to the nomi-
nation centre at 7.30am.
Others in the march were
PAS president Datuk Seri
Abdul Hadi Awang, PAS vice-
president Salahuddin Ayub,
party secretary-general Datuk
Mustafa Ali, Parti Keadilan
Rakyat (PKR) vice-president
Azmin Ali and PKR informa-
tion chief Tian Chua.
Polling for the by-election
is from 8am to 5pm on July 14
in 27 polling streams in nine
polling centres.
Manek Urai has 12,293
voters including 25 postal
voters. Of the total elector-
ate, 99.2% are Malays, 0.46%
Chinese and 0.23% Indian.
Tuan Aziz, the Kuala Krai
Umno Youth chief, holds a
bachelors degree in technology
management from UTM while
Mohd Fauzi, the Kuala Krai PAS
treasurer, is a fish wholesaler
in the Kuala Krai market.
The by-election follows
the death of incumbent as-

Najib said the new initia-
tives in tackling the problem
would focus on pre-emptive
measures, including greater
exchange of intelligence.
It has been reported that
thousands of illegal immi-
grants from war-torn countries
or those hit badly by economic
problems, head to Australia,
with some allegedly using
Malaysia as a transit point.
Commenting on the same
issue, Rudd thanked Malaysia
for cooperating with Australia
in combating people smug-
gling activities which the latter
described as “the evil trade”.
Malaysia had successfully
prevented several groups (of
immigrants) from illegally en-
tering Australia, noted Rudd.
PM: Govt’s priority to ‘reform’ administration
by Husna Yusop
newsdesk@thesundaily.com
PUTRAJAYA: The soon-
to-be-announced national
Key Result Areas (KRA) and
national Key Performance
Indicators (KPI) will be the
government’s priority in the
next few years.
Prime Minister Datuk Seri
Najib Abdul Razak said this
would be the government’s
way of “reforming” the coun-
try’s administration.
“It will inject new life in our
efforts to bring our country
towards higher success,” he
said at the monthly meeting of
the Prime Minister’s Depart-
Najib receives Rudd and his entourage at the Prime Minister’s office in Perdana Putra Complex.
“Exit factor has put pres-
sure on the problem. The
push factor derived from
security and economic forces.
Our challenges are to deal at
the source, transit point and
back home. We will take every
practical and hardline meas-
ure to combat the evil trade,”
said the Australian premier.
Najib said their discussions
also touched on trade, green
technology and education.
On trade, Rudd said the
two countries enjoyed a good,
bilateral trade as they were
ment here yesterday.
Without revealing details,
Najib said he would soon
announce the KRA and KPI
to evaluate the performances
of cabinet ministers, whose
success would depend on the
relationship between admin-
istrative members and civil
servants.
“Whatever we want to
be our ultimate goal for the
nation, be it a developed
country, a high-income coun-
try or a first-world nation, it
will depend on how far this
relationship can translate the
government’s agenda in the
real sense,” he said.
Najib re-emphasised the
among the top 10 trading part-
ners in both directions.
Touching on green tech-
nology, Najib said Malaysia
was keen to learn more
from Australia’s initiative in
carbon-reduction emission
technology, as well as its re-
newable technology, such as
solar energy.
Najib also told Rudd that
Malaysia would hold an exhi-
bition next year to showcase
its green technology.
Rudd said the country was
looking forward to working
importance of having a strong
and effective relationship be-
tween the administration and
services sector.
“If we recap the country’s
history, our success in bring-
ing about development or in
solving any crisis, it was based
on this special relationship
between the administration
and the public service.
“That is why, as we move
forward, I want to re-em-
phasise on how important it
is to further strengthen this
relationship,” he added.
Najib said the relationship
must be one that is spiritual
and emotional and public
servants must believe that the
with Malaysia on sharing the
green technologies.
On education, Najib said
30,000 Malaysian students
were currently studying in
Australia.
Rudd also ackowledged
the joint Malaysia-Australia
effort in training Afghanistan
teachers in Malaysia at the
moment.
He congratulated Najib
over his recent economic
programmes, and said he was
looking forward to Najib’s visit
to Australia. – Bernama
government’s agenda is the
most viable for the country.
“I hope it won’t be just a
formal relationship between
ministers and the secretaries-
general, or between the prime
minister and chief secretary
to the government and senior
officers. It should be more
than that.
“It is also not just about
winning the next general
election – of course, do not
let us lose it (election)
– but also about transform-
ing Malaysia holistically and
comprehensively, not just
through mere superficial or
small changes on the surface,”
he added.
Umno vice-presidents Datuk
Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi,
Datuk Seri Hishammuddin
Hussein and Datuk Seri Mohd
Shafie Apdal and supreme
council member Datuk Seri
Dr Rais Yatim.
’An MB’s monthly salary
is about RM48,000’
» From Front Page
“It just does not add up,
because an MB cannot be
involved in any business and
an MB’s salary according
to the revelation by Tan Sri
Abdul Khalid Ibrahim is about
RM48,000 a month,” said Ng.
“If you multiply this by 12
months, for eight years that he
served as MB, without taking
into account other expendi-
tures, he would have earned
RM4.6 million,” he said.
Mohd Khir denied that the
property was worth RM24
million. “If Ng thinks that the
house costs RM24 million,
then I invite him to be my
agent and sell the house,” he
said.
“He can take 50% of the
earnings – RM12 million – and
I can take my portion and buy
a better house somewhere
else like Bukit Damansara.
He should use his share to do
some welfare work,” he said.
He said he bought the
house three years ago and
had done some renovations,
semblyman Ismail Yaacob of
PAS on May 22 due to a heart
attack. In the 2008 general
election, Ismail won the seat
with a majority of 1,352 votes,
beating BN’s Mohamed Zulkifli
Omar. – Bernama
such as replacing the roof.
“The renovations have not
been completed but the
contractor has run away and
that’s why I’m still renting a
house although I would prefer
to move as soon as possible,”
he said.
Mohd Khir, who is Sungai
Panjang assemblyman, said
Ng was unhappy that he was
gaining support in his (Ng’s)
constituency.
“I have a lot of time on my
hands now and I am in my
area (Sungai Panjang which is
next to Sekinchan) three times
a week, I also make an effort
to go house to house to meet
with people and plan to do this
over the next three years,” he
said. Mohd Khir said that the
issue was first brought up
during the Umno elections
by those who had conspired
with Pakatan Rakyat leaders
to bring him down.
Mohd Khir contested but
lost in the race for Umno
Youth chief against Khairy
Jamaluddin and Datuk Mukhriz
Mahathir.