Najib: Coconut trees the limit for PAS

Deputy Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak today launched a verbal salvo against opposition party PAS.

According to him, the Islamic-based party, which uses the moon as its symbol, only looks good from the outside.

"They are looking at the moon but highest they can go is up to the top of coconut trees. We, on the other hand, have gone to outer space.

"We will suffer if PAS comes out as our leader," he was quoted as saying by Bernama at a function in Kedah.

In view of this, he hoped the people would pay attention to the fact that their future would be brighter in the hands of Barisan Nasional (BN).

Mighty machinery

Meanwhile, Najib also said BN’s rivals shiver at the very mention of the ruling coalition’s election machinery.

He described the election machinery as the sharpest weapon in the effort to quell the opposition.

According to him, a strong and united BN machinery will bring victory to Othman Desa who is contesting for the Sik parliamentary seat and Habsullah L. Isa and Mohd Tajuddin Isa for the Jeneri and Belantek state seats.

"In fact, out political enemy shivers when hearing the BN machinery's name. To ensure the victory of BN candidates, both for the parliamentary and state seats, we have to make sure our machinery is solid and works hard," he said.

Najib, who is BN deputy chairperson, expressed satisfaction with the spirit of the machinery ahead of the March 8 general election.

"They looked cheerful today. After the candidates' nomination, it cannot be said they are sad but today, their faces have changed. The weather has turned from cloudy to clear," he said.

Najib also reminded the BN machinery to give precedence to the coalition's interests above everything else and prove their loyalty.

Valuable asset

In another development, Prime Minister Abdullah Badawi said human capital that is mentally strong and knowledgeable is a valuable asset for nation building.

He said human capital which had the two attributes will enable Malaysia to compete on a higher footing on the world stage.

He said that a professionally trained workforce whether in the public or private sector was badly needed to ensure the success of the national mission.

As such, he said, the government deeply valued the role played by teachers in producing human capital strong in both aspects.

Abdullah said this in his meeting with teachers from the Kepala Batas parliamentary constituency.

He said because of this, the government invested heavily in education infrastructure and increased the number of universities and colleges to provide Malaysians with more higher education opportunities.

Abdullah also said knowledge that could become assets were those that can be used for doing good and not that which led to destruction.

"There are knowledgeable people out there who up to no good, which is a waste. Knowledge must be beneficial in that it should improve the quality of our lives and that of our products and services," he said.

Apart from this, he also wanted the Malaysian workforce to have high moral values and integrity.

As such, he said, it was important for teachers to imbue the younger generation with the right values for continuity in leadership in bringing the nation forward always.