MUAR: Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi wants the people to assess every measure taken by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak in helping them over the past nine years.
The deputy prime minister and Barisan Nasional deputy chairman said the opposition was expected to spring some last minute attacks in order to influence voters, especially those sitting on the proverbial fence.
He said the people should remember all that Najib had done for them in his nine-year tenure as prime minister and not allow themselves to be fooled by opposition slander.
Zahid said the people should compare what Najib had done to what Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad had done in his 22 years as prime minister.
“I see, from the aspect of tolls during the 22 years, there were many privatisation projects which only benefited Tun M’s (Dr Mahathir’s) cronies. The proof is that every three years the toll rate was increased by five per cent, whereas under Najib, there are the Pan Borneo Highway, the highway from Kuala Lumpur to Kelantan and the Rawang Elevated Highway which are all toll-free.
“On top of that, there are tolls like in Bukit Kayu Hitam and Batu Tiga which have been torn down,” he told reporters after a meet-the-people session here.
Present were Muar parliamentary seat candidate Datuk Seri Razali Ibrahim and the BN candidates for the Maharani and Sungai Balang state seats, Datuk Ashari Sarip and Zaitun Ismail.
Zahid said the people can also make comparisons of the interest rates for National Higher Education Fund Corporation (PTPTN) loans now and during Dr Mahathir’s time.
At present, the rate stands at four per cent, with a 10 per cent discount if it is paid in monthly installments and 20 per cent discount if paid at one go.
Zahid said, during Dr Mahathir’s time, the interest rate stood at 10 per cent.
He also said Dr Mahathir’s tenure had seen more than 1,200 people, including himself, detained under the Internal Security Act, a law which Najib abolished.
“In Tun M’s time, national debt stood at 103 per cent, but it now stands at 54 per cent. Najib also brought in a minimum wage of RM1,000 which will be increased to RM1,500.”
Zahid said there were many other things Najib had done, including doing away with school fees, introducing free text books and handing out school aid of RM100 each.
Najib, he said, had also introduced various housing programmes to help the people afford to have their own homes.
Other things the prime minister had introduced was the sponsorship of 1,000 people to perform the haj, a RM600 per month allocation to 440,000 rubber tappers during the rainy season and an allowance of RM300 a month for fishermen.