Rais Yatim says Umno-BN no longer putting people first, not all political veterans effective
SEREMBAN, Nov 3 — Tan Sri Rais Yatim today said that Umno and component parties in Barisan Nasional (BN) have lost their direction in nation-building.
He said that the coalition is unable to balance between proprietary rights as well as conventional needs and the Constitution.
“By amalgamating these elements, I think Umno needs to look back and ask themselves, what are they actually after?
“Are they after the rakyat’s future? Or simply for their own sake in getting out of the doldrum that their in now.
“So I need not elaborate on that, I think the people already knew that steps that Umno has taken are steps of convenience political efficacy, not for the people,” he told reporters after flagging off the Perikatan Nasional’s Negri Sembilan machinery here in Nilai.
When asked about the return of some old faces in BN’s line-up for the 15th general election, Rais who is Negri Sembilan Perikatan Nasional (PN) adviser said he questioned if these faces were effective.
“You cannot discard these faces, they have history you know, and without these old faces, I believe all institutions cannot come into being.
“But the test is that, are the old faces effective? If they are effective by all means, I believe that Tengku Razaleigh (Tan Sri Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah) for example is very effective in his place in Kelantan, so Kelantan people would like to have him back, by all means.
“But by all process, the young blood must come up,” he said, indicating that PN’s line-up has more than 58 per cent young candidates.
Rais was Jelebu MP for three terms when he was in Umno until he was dropped as a candidate in the 2013 general election. He then left to join Bersatu in June 2018.
Tengku Razaleigh has been listed as Umno’s candidate for the GE15. He is among Umno veterans who will defend his seat.
Earlier, Rais introduced PN’s Negri Sembilan candidates for eight parliamentary seats.
They are Datuk Choong Vee Heng (Rasah), Mohd Nazree Mohd Yunus (Rembau), Rafiei Mustapha (Port Dickson), Major Abdul Halim Abu Bakar (Tampin), Zaharuddin Baba Samion (Jelebu), Mumahad Noraffendy Mohd Salleh (Jempol), Mohd Fadli Che Me (Seremban) and Datuk Eddin Syazlee Shith (Kuala Pilah).
