JOHOR BAHARU, Aug 1 (Bernama) -- Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin said Barisan Nasional (BN) is still a rational and relevant party although it still needs the component parties to resolve all the internal problems effectively and immediately.
The BN deputy chairman said these included resolving the leadership problem, organisation, effectiveness of its programmes, and carrying out efforts to woo the people to become members and support the party's struggles.
"I attended the political laboratory for the past several months and they felt the BN party is still rational and relevant, it's just that the internal issues and problems of the component parties must be handled immediately and effectively.
"We are confident that in the next five years, if we make serious efforts on certain issues that need the attention and action of the state and federal governments, public support for the BN will grow," said Muhyiddin, who is also the Deputy Prime Minister.
He said this in his speech at the breaking of fast held by the state government and Johor Umno at the Pusat Konvensyen Persada, here Thursday which was also attended by Johor Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin, who is also the State Umno Liaison chairman.
Muhyiddin said that after the last general election, public expectation of the government was extremely high and the people wanted to see the reforms to be made by the BN leadership whether at the federal level or in the states led by the party.
"They want to see what are the new initiatives taken by the government besides the existing ones that concern the interests of the multi-racial community.
"They want to see whether the efforts taken to create inter-racial cooperation and solidarity can continue to be achieved and this is among the major challenges faced by the BN government currently not only in Johor but the whole country," he said.
He said racial issues and polarisation which had created dissatisfaction and fear among the community was a major challenge that must be shouldered by the government and should be overcome to regain mutual understanding among the various races in the country.
At the same time, Muhyiddin expressed confidence that Johor would remain to be the stronghold for Umno and the BN although in the last general election several areas considered to be the BN stronghold had been penetrated by the opposition.
"Thus, in order to ensure that Johor remained a 'blue state', solid cooperation in terms of political and government leadership is of major concern," he said.
He also congratulated Mohamed Khaled on his appointment as the new Johor Umno Liaison chairman in place of Datuk Abd Ghani Othman.
He said that the federal government under the leadership of Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak and assisted by himself, as the deputy, would give whatever support was needed to ensure that Johor remained a BN stronghold.
Source: http://www.bernama.com/bernama/v7/po/newspolitics.php?id=967783
