On Najib wants Indians, Chinese to back BN

Sitha Malaysian: Happily married for seven and a half years but no children. Why?

Because I do not want to gamble with my children's future by supporting the BN who has been making false promises. Yes, that is the truth.

My husband and I know very well the difficulties that we went through by being Indians in this country. How hard we struggled with everything in life. Well, not just us, many will agree. So, we decided that we just do not want our children to go through the same.

But you know what, Najib? We have changed our plan. Want to know why?

Hindraf has shown us that we are not alone in our struggles. Your party is no longer ruling in Selangor. In Pakatan Rakyat we have a party for all, which has the best of the rakyat at heart. I will happily introduce this party to my kids.

So Najib, please keep your special offer to Indian voters in Permatang Pauh. We know what we need and we know that we need more than that and we know how to get it and we also know that we will get it soon.

So people of Permatang Pauh, prove that you deserve more than a scrap metal licence.

Garry Khoo: I would like to offer congratulations to the Indians and Chinese in Permatang Pauh for getting aid from our deputy prime minister. However, why must the Indians and Chinese only get ‘goodies’ or the promise of goodies during by-elections? In that case, I hope we have by-elections every 3 months so that the ‘goodies’ come rolling in!

Mohd Ariffin: What is Najib saying now? By calling on the Chinese and Indians for support is he saying that he doesn’t need the support of the Malays? Look Najib, BN is losing ground fast. Please don’t be fooled into thinking that the coalition is as powerful as it once was. Even Gerakan is wavering!

Now you want to help the Indians and Chinese. After 50 years?

I am a Malay and a proud supporter of PKR. At least they don’t pit the races against each other like the BN!

Balasingam: I read the statement by Najib in disgust. Is that what the Indians in this country are good for, collecting scrap metal?! The audacity of this man is unbelievable. Does he have nothing else to offer the Indian community? This is typical BN arrogance!

No matter how hard it is going to be, I will be heading home to Permatang Pauh to vote. No prizes for guessing who will get my vote. Enough is enough!

Toh SP: My parents came from China to seek a better life. They trusted the then Alliance Party to give them and their children a better life. Life was tough for them. Nonetheless, they managed to raise me.

I was born in Malaya and am a full fledged Malaysian. I too trusted the BN to protect my rights. Unfortunately things took a drastic turn after May 1969. Suddenly I found that there are many things which are no longer available to me as a Malaysian.

Getting a place in university is unthinkable (at that time there were only 3 universities). Getting a place in the civil service is an uphill task. To get promoted in the civil service is beyond my dreams.

Now I have my own family. I dare not send my children to a government school because I fear that they will be subjected to all the values which are against my personal values. A good education will at least enable them to compete in this world which is getting increasingly global and borderless. So I have to send them to private schools and that is a tremendous drain on my financial resources.

After being disappointed in so many aspects of my life with BN's policies, I am prepared to give any other political party which promises a better alternative a chance because I don't think they can do much worse than what BN has done.

I have no qualms voting for PAS, for if they disappoint me, at least I have given myself an opportunity to explore what they can do and also given them a chance to change whatever they promised to change.

So dear BN leaders, please convince me why I should back BN especially when I have to put up with statements from BN leaders that Kalau awak tak suka, awak boleh balik China .

Unless you are able to convince me through your actions and policies, you have lost my confidence and can forget about my vote. Rhetoric is not good enough!!

Xroy: We do not intend to gamble the future of our children any longer, we have done it for 50 years and had to slog to send them to private tertiary institutions at a higher cost just because they weren't bumiputera.

We allowed the NEP to take shape, in fact we were even deprived of our share of what the NEP was supposed to deliver, and when we question the government, we get detained under the ISA, we are told our figures are wrong or we are just completely ignored. We are told to see the MCA or the MIC and they in turn, don’t do a thing.

We have gambled the future of our children with the BN and because the BN led by Umno could not deliver, we voted the opposition. The BN has not allowed the opposition to function since, placing obstacles at every corner, refusing them funds and cancelling projects that were already in the pipeline for the states that are not in their control.

The Cheras toll issue where innocent people defending their rights were assaulted, the detention of HINDRAF leaders under the ISA and the teacher in Klang who verbally abused Indian students being transferred to a better school are all examples of injustice by the government.

And now Najib is telling us that if we do not vote for BN, life is going to be difficult for us. It has been all this while, so be it. We have tolerated the antics of the BN for too long.

Umno is not getting the Malay vote in Pematang Pauh, and now in desperation they seek the vote of the people they have taken full advantage of, the people they have abused.

Dear Mr Deputy PM, let me tell you in all honesty, you are not getting it.

Jr Lee: It is shocking to read that Najib promised the Indians scrap metal licences and RM200,000 to each Chinese schools in Permatang Pauh if BN wins the by-election.

This is truly an act of intimidation on the minority races. What happens if BN loses? BN will only honour their promises if they win. If Najib is sincere and truly wishes to help the minority races, he wouldn't need to make such empty promises, he would have immediately approved the licences for the Indians and remit the funds to the Chinese schools. That would be the most honourable thing for a deputy prime minister to do.

But, whose money are we talking about here? The funds do not belong to Najib, it is the taxpayer's hard earned money. He has no right to play around with taxpayer’s money and dangle it like a carrot to mesmerise the rakyat ! This is a despicable and totally irresponsible act!

Kenny Gan: Despite the 69 percent of Malay majority in Permatang Pauh, it is apparent that BN needs Indian and Chinese support to win. If 90 percent of the non-Malays vote for PR, Anwar will only need 35 percent of Malay votes to win this by-election which is no problem at all.

But what has Najib and BN to offer the non-Malays? We have seen how Umno leaders indulge in racial politicking and fanning racial sentiment to shore up their tottering support among the Malays. Some specific examples are:

1. The recent fracas over a suggestion by Khalid Ibrahim to open 10 percent of UiTM places to non-Malays caused the ‘PM for all Malaysians’ to immediately veto this suggestion while Umno leaders jumped at the opportunity to fan Malay sentiments and encourage senseless demonstrations.

2. The breakup of the Bar Council forum on religious conversions by rowdy demonstrators was not condemned by the leadership but quietly supported and Najib even threatened the organisers with ISA.

3. No punitive action was taken against a teacher in Teluk Panglima Garang who insulted Indian students with racial slurs but she was instead transferred to a better school nearer her home.

4. Racial politicking by Ezam and other Umno leaders that Anwar is selling out the Malays with his plan to replace the outdated NEP with another plan with fair opportunities for all races.

5. Giving out money to vernacular schools only when there is an election is an insult to the Chinese and Indian communities. Do these schools which are also government schools have to wait for an election to receive assistance?

The battle for Permatang Pauh is a battle between Anwar's politics of multi-racialism for the benefit of all against Umno's politics of racial divide and rule. I see no reason why non-Malays should come back to the BN fold and suffer further discrimination under the status quo when Pakatan Rakyat has offered them equal opportunities.

Najib has also warned the voters against opposition lies. Whether they are lies or not remain to be seen but it is a certainty that under BN rule, the Malaysian dream of a fair and equitable society where all races prosper together and racial identity takes a back seat will forever remain a dream.

Voters have a choice of a shinning hope for a new Malaysia or the certainty of a racially polarised society which cannot change because it forms the bedrock of Umno's political power. What is there to lose in taking a chance?

SK 11: If you were to ask me, I would rather back Anwar ,even though he has been described as a ‘tricky’ person by Najib. I would rather take my chances with Anwar, as Najib until now has not been able to convincingly put an end to rumours of his alleged involvement in the murder of the Mongolian woman. The only thing he does so far is deny, but the more he denies, the more suspicious people become.

To clear his name and gain respect, he should encourage the police or investigating parties to carry out an independent, transparent and thorough investigation on all the allegations about him and his wife. Only when all this is done and he has proven convincingly that he is clean, will the rakyat give him the due respect as a leader.

Millionth Citizen: March 2008 wasn’t too long ago. Gerakan got totally wiped out. MCA nearly got wipe out. Why? Because BN or Umno always boasted of their allocations for Chinse schools and temples. They still have not got it.

They think Chinese schools and temples will feed families. Whilst UMNO takes all the big contracts, they placate the Chinese with temples and schools. They never learn do they?

The way I see it, these gimmicks on offer by UMNO should be snapped up by the Chinese. However, they must still vote for Anwar. MCA is a lost cause. Just imagine, the MCA has to beg for what rightfully belongs to the Chinese. The scenario is like begging for the money in your bank account!

An Indian: I am really impressed with Najib’s magnanimous offer to the Indian community of licence to collect scrap metal!

My, my! Such generosity. Are the Indians only good enough to collect scrap metal?

Shame on you Najib, I thought you would offer them ‘equal opportunities’. You and your party does not deserve a single vote.