KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 30 — Critics of the Barisan Nasional (BN) government have accused it of all sorts of irregularities and improprieties but the 13-party coalition has been consistently and democratically elected into power even after four street demonstrations, Umno’s Datuk Abdul Rahman Dahlan said today.
Taking to his Twitter account, the urban wellbeing, housing and local government minister sneered at the fourth and latest street rally organised by electoral reforms group Bersih 2.0 to pressure Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak into resigning, to take responsibility for the economic woes and political instability affecting the country and its people.
“4 Bersih rallies & the govt is still standing. When will these ppl realize that the real battle is at grassroot, which is BN’s forte?” Abdul Rahman tweeted on his account @mpkotabelud.
He reminded the Bersih rally organiser that it was the voters who determined the outcome of who takes power in Putrajaya.
“There is more to winning an election. It’s not just about donning colored t shirts, camping overnight or blowing vuvuzelas, rowdy & noisy!” said Abdul Rahman, who is also BN strategic communications director.
Rahman Dahlan then engaged in a brief exchange of words with PKR communications director Fahmi Fadzil on Twitter, with the latter slamming BN for allegedly manipulating voting area boundaries to win elections.
“Isn’t BN’s forte is in malapportionment, gerrymandering? 48% popular vote, tapi menang. Itu yg kita lawan,” Fahmi wrote on Twitter, referring to BN remaining in power despite gaining only 48 per cent of votes in the last general elections.
Citing the electoral process seen globally, Abdul Rahman responded by saying that popular votes do not determine governments.
He also laughed off another Twitter user’s suggestion that BN would “hit the new low” in grassroots support, saying that the latter can “continue to dream”.
The Twitter user identified as KEADILAN had written: “@mpkotabelud nope. The graph for BN grassroot support is bearish after 4 #Bersih rallies. About time BN goin to hit the new low. Kan?”
