DESPERATE FOR VICTORY, PAS LEADERS RESORT TO NAME-CALLING: MUHYIDDIN

By : Hamidah Atan-The Star

PUTRAJAYA, Mon:

Knowing the party's chances of winning Kelantan and other states were slim, Pas leaders, including spiritual head and Kelantan Menteri Besar Datuk Nik Aziz Nik Mat, had resorted to name-calling of Umno leaders and members.

Umno vice-president Tan Sri Muhyiddin Mohd Yassin said today Nik Aziz’s latest outburst, where he dismissed Umno members as orang utans who do not know Islam or anything about the law, was "very unIslamic, derogatory and totally irresponsible."

"They are the so-called Islamic preachers and scholars but they are the ones who have no hesitation at all to go against Islamic teaching," Muhyiddin said today.

Muhyiddin said Pas leaders, including Nik Aziz, knew that the party would lose badly to the Barisan Nasional in Kelantan and other states.

"They are so desperate and have no issues to brag on. So, it is not surprising that they will stop at nothing to call Umno or BN members by names or get indulge in character assassination."
Muhyiddin said Pas would always deny Barisan Nasional contributions in uplifting the living standard of people in Kelantan and in other areas. He challenged Pas to list down what it had done for the Kelantanese.

"BN contributions are made not based on lust but welfare and social obligations. And our approaches are more, more Islamic than Pas."

On the pulling out of DAP's firebrand female leader, Fong Po Kuan, of the general election, Muhyiddin said this was a manifestation of disunity and rift in the party.

"It also shows there is no consensus and respect for each other in DAP. They could not agree on candidates although they know of the big challenge awaiting them from the BN."

Fong is a two-term incumbent Batu Gajah MP. Her claim to fame was the defeat of Perak MCA chairman Datuk Ong Ka Chuan, who is also the brother of MCA president Datuk Seri Ong Ka Ting, in the 2004 general election. She cited internal politicking in the Perak DAP as the reason for her withdrawal.