BARISAN Nasional last night unveiled “BN version 2.0” to voters in Penang, promising a state government which will be “10 times better” than the current Pakatan Harapan administration.

BN 2.0 promises to offer a better manifesto and new faces to “rescue” the state from DAP.

“BN can give Penang a better government based on respect, equality and brotherhood,” said BN strategic communication director Abdul Rahman Dahlan at a ceramah in Seberang Jaya yesterday.

Rahman accused the DAP-led administration in Penang of cheating the people and failing to fulfil its promises. He also took a swipe at opposition politicians for badmouthing Malaysia overseas, telling others that the country was going bankrupt.

“DAP’s politics is dangerous. They can split and polarise the people and bring down the economy… DAP, please shut up. Don’t get up. We are fed up,” he told a crowd of about 1,000 gathered at a basketball court in a low-cost residential area.

The crowd, comprising BN leaders and supporters, laughed and cheered as they listened to Rahman and other speakers, including Penang BN chief Teng Chang Yeow and MIC deputy president S.K. Devamany, criticise PH, Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng and Permatang Pauh MP and PKR president Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail.

They cheered when Rahman told them to work to win back Penang and defeat Dr Wan Azizah in Permatang Pauh, the parliamentary seat synonymous with jailed PKR de facto leader and prime-minister-in-waiting Anwar Ibrahim.

Later when approached by reporters, Rahman said he believed DAP would fall in Penang, the state it won in the 2008 and 2013 general elections.

“In 2008, the people in Penang wanted to try something new. They gave room for DAP and Guan Eng to make policies but they didn’t deliver.

“The people gave them a second chance in 2013, but we see that the DAP government under Guan Eng is incapable of giving the people a better life, in terms of the environment, traffic management and housing.”

Rahman also said DAP and the opposition faced internal troubles while BN in the federal government, under the leadership of Prime Minister Najib Razak, worked to strengthen the economy.

“It might be a tall order, but we must tell the people, namely DAP supporters, that this is not about politics.

“It is about good governance and delivering what you promised, which DAP had failed. Not only have they failed, they also lied and they had lied in style,” said the Kota Belud MP from Sabah.

Rahman, however, admitted that as Penang voters had higher political awareness and cared more about transparency, environmental protection and independence, BN must offer them something out of the ordinary.

BN would have to learn from its past mistakes and come up with a more appropriate manifesto to suit, he said.

“Just give us five years with BN version 2.0. I believe we can give the people a better alternative government.”

BN has only 10 state seats in Penang through Umno while Gerakan, MCA and MIC have no seats. DAP holds the most seats at 19, followed by PKR’s 10 while PAS has one. – May 23, 2017.