PAPAR, March 31 — The people should give their mandate to the Barisan Nasional (BN) government to continue ruling the country in the 14th general election as their proof of support for the party, Communications and Multimedia Minister Datuk Seri Dr Salleh Said Keruak said.

He said the mandate would enable the BN government, which has a proven track record in bringing development, to continue the agenda and policies of national development, and thus strengthening political stability, national unity and social harmony.

Salleh said the benefits of development enjoyed by the people today, be it in education, economic growth and job opportunities made available by the government should be preserved to safeguard their future and wellbeing.

“Since the Independence, the BN government has always put the people first. We are not like other parties which will only emerge with sweet promises when the election is near. 

“BN has been consistent until now. We need to continue working as a team. What’s important now is to give our strong support to our leaders and our party, so that we can continue implementing the national development agenda,” he said when opening the “Demi Paparku” mini carnival here today.

Also present was Deputy Works Minister Datuk Rosnah Abdul Rashid Shirlin, who is Papar Member of Parliament.

Meanwhile, Salleh said all political parties should compete in a healthy way without making baseless allegations and spreading fake news which could cause disharmony among the people.

“Many people have fallen victims to baseless allegations and fake news. Therefore, they must always be on alert (for fake news),” he said.

At the event, Salleh also launched the Papar 175 Squad and announced the allocation of RM100,000 for the squad to carry out charitable and community work in the parliamentary constituency.

Rosnah, in her speech earlier, said the Papar 175 Squad is a volunteering programme set up to inculcate and promote the culture of volunteerism among the multi-racial society in Papar.

Right now, she said the squad was in the process of luring more volunteers among local residents and implementing volunteering activities in Papar. — Bernama