'Confident But Not Complacent' Badawi Takes Malaysian Election Campaigning to His Opponent's Heartland

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia (ots/PRNewswire) -

- Prime Minister says 'vote for change' on the stump in northern
state of Kelantan, Malaysia

Malaysia's Prime Minister Abdullah Badawi today took his campaign
into the very heartland of his political opponents, Kelantan state,
currently governed by the opposition conservative Islamist party PAS,
in a sign of his increasing confidence that his economic message is
breaking through with voters.

Throughout the first week of the campaign, Mr. Badawi has been
highlighting the strong economic performance of his government and
contrasting it with the risk to the prosperity of Malaysia's hard
working families from the opposition's "unaffordable election
handouts, unrealistic election promises and undeliverable election
pledges".

Buoyed up by new figures from Malaysia's Central Bank showing the
best GDP growth figures since 2004, Prime Minister Badawi drew
attention to the failures of 18 years of PAS control in Kelantan.

Addressing supporters, the Prime Minister said, "It is time for
change in Kelantan. 18 years of PAS rule is long enough. Take a look
at the 18 year long PAS record in Kelantan. More families live in
poverty here. Fewer children go to school here. I look at what 18
years of PAS rule means in reality and I know it is time to deliver
new prosperity, fresh opportunity and a better life for hard working
families in Kelantan."

"Ours is a confident campaign but not a complacent one. Confident
because our message of security, peace and prosperity for all is
important for the whole of our country. Not complacent because our
warning of the economic risks to hard working families from PAS's
unrealistic election promises is real and relevant to everyone. It is
time to end the divisiveness, disunity and failure which PAS offers.
It is time for proven leadership, not failed leadership in our
country."

Kelantan has a population of approximately 1.4 million and is
situated in the north of Malaysia, bordering Thailand. The Islamic
Party of Malaysia (PAS) has been in power there for 18 years.
Kelantan has a GDP per capita of about RM8, 700 almost 45% lower than
the national figure. Kelantan has the third highest rate of poverty
in Malaysia. Some 13% of children in Kelantan never attend school
compared with 10% across the whole of Malaysia. Progress in literacy
is the third lowest of any state in Malaysia.

ots Originaltext: BN2008 News
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Contact:
Chong Sin Woon of BN2008, +6019-382-8461,
campaignupdates@BN2008.org.my