SEMENYIH: Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad continues to take potshots at his former protege Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s "Bossku" persona, likening it to him enslaving the people instead of respecting them.
Dr Mahathir said it was time to put the past and "Bossku" behind and think about the future as Barisan Nasional and Umno were dead.
“Najib has left, Umno is no more and Barisan is dead. Why do we need to think of that party when we have a future to think about.
"Our future is what we can do through the Pakatan government,” he said.
The Pakatan Harapan and Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (Bersatu) chairman said the term boss showed that a person was superior to others.
“This is an American term originally used by slaves to refer to their masters, so if we call him ‘Bossku’, it means we are his slaves.
“But he is no ordinary boss. This boss is a thief and a robber,” Dr Mahathir said at a grand ceramah in Taman Pelangi Semenyih on Thursday night (Feb 28).
Najib had previously explained that although "Bossku" was usually used as a term of endearment among friends, especially in Sabah, the word reminded him that the people were the real bosses.
Dr Mahathir, of course, has a different take.
With less than 48 hours of campaign time left, he told a crowd of about 2,000 people to lend Pakatan candidate Muhammad Aiman Zainali their support.
Borrowing a line from Muhammad Aiman’s earlier speech quoting former Indonesian president Sukarno on the young having the power to shake the world, Dr Mahathir said he believed the young engineer had the potential to do the same.
“Even if he doesn’t shake the world, he will shake Semenyih and Beranang,” he said.
He said if Muhammad Aiman were elected as Semenyih assemblyman, he could easily bring the people’s concerns to the Pakatan-led government.
Aware that one of Semenyih’s biggest request is for a hospital to be built in the area, Dr Mahathir said Muhammad Aiman could bring this up with the ministers and every effort would be made to fulfil the request.
“(Finance Minister) Lim Guan Eng is here, and he takes care of the money. If he doesn’t give in, we will knock him,” Dr Mahathir quipped drawing laughter from the crowd.
Dr Mahathir also said Pakatan had a plan for the future and intended to keep the promises made in the 14th general election.
“Nine months is not enough to fulfil all the promises but we are making efforts towards realising that,” he said.
Other leaders who spoke at the rally were Bersatu President Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, DAP Secretary-General Lim, and Parti Amanah Negara president Mohamad Sabu.
Muhammad Aiman will face three others in the Semenyih by-election, which was called following the death of its assemblyman Bakhtiar Mohd Nor on Jan 11.
Barisan has fielded Umno’s Zakaria Hanafi while Parti Sosialis Malaysia will be represented by Nik Aziz Afiq Abdul. Independent candidate Kuan Chee Heng is the fourth contender in the contest. - Star
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