Deputy Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin ridiculed Pakatan Rakyat's ubiquitous slogan for 'change' or ubah in Malay.

Clearly having taken notice of their battlecry, he took potshots at it, calling it archaic and that the BN has pioneered the sentiments, albeit with a different word - transformation.

"They say change, but change is an archaic word. The word we in BN want to use in 'transformation'. Look at the dictionary for the word 'transformation', it is bigger than change.

"Change sudah lapuk (old fashioned)...

"The prime minister has said that change is not sufficient enough. We must be able to transform to move the country," said Muhyiddin to an appreciative 850-strong crowd of mixed races in his speech at a '1Malaysia dinner' in Sibu last night.

sarawak election sibu bn ceramah 080411 02 He then presented the government's case for transformation, explaining the success of the alphabet soup of the transformation programmes rolled out by the Najib administration.

"We have the Government Transformation Programme (GTP). The government has delivered and who can say that the BN government has failed?

"Even international experts have come here and said that the government has done a lot for the people," he said.

"The Economic Transformation Programme, the GTP and the Political Transformation Programme, they are all far bigger than just change," he added.

Pakatan's main driving point for the current Sarawak elections is change, with even the DAP hornbill mascot named 'Ubah'.

In this case, Pakatan has repeatedly called for a 'change' of political representation and the state government under the leadership of longtime Chief Minister Abdul Taib Mahmud, whom they have alleged to be corrupt.

To that, Muhyiddin said that even change may not turn out to be for the better.

'Pakatan can promise, sun, moon, sky, '

"They say 'change'. And now that they have announced their manifesto, they say that they want 'change' because they want to takeover power and run the government.

sarawak election muhyiddin 080411 03 "That's why they keep on saying 'down with the sun BN, give us a chance to be elected'.

"But we don't know yet whether the change can turn out for the better or worse. After all, they can promise the sun, moon, and the sky," he said, referring to Pakatan's 10-point manifesto launched yesterday which makes very specific promises of goodies.

Muhyiddin later pulled out what appeared to be a list of Pakatan Rakyat's manifesto for the last 2008 general election, saying that even after capturing several state governments, they have to still deliver on their old promises.

"I went to Selangor and I asked the people there about what Anwar's men have promised. They say they cannot remember, but I can. They said they want to enforce for protection for the environment.

"But all they did was dig out more sand. They lie," he said.

He also ticked off Pakatan's manifesto for the state elections, saying that the welfare fund that they have promised is just a drop in the ocean compared to the amount that the federal government has contributed to the state annually.