Najib vows BN comeback

LIMA (Peru): Mass defections of MPs from the Barisan Nasional as threatened by the Opposition now appear remote, Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak said.

As such, he said the Barisan should be in power until the next general election.

“Unless there is a mass defection which appears to be remote, we should be in power until the next general election when we have to face the public,” he said during an exclusive interview with AFP on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (Apec) summit here.

Najib said the Barisan was also determined to do well in the next elections, which must be held by 2013.

“We’ll try to recapture our two-thirds majority that we have traditionally enjoyed, God willing.” he said. During a press conference with the Malaysian media on Sunday, Najib said that Umno would come up with more measures to combat money politics. He said political will and commitment were needed to combat the scourge.

Najib was asked about comments by former Umno president Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad who said that money politics would continue to “haunt” Umno even after Najib takes over the party presidency in March.

“However, we have to be realistic that it will take some time to get rid of this practice in Umno.

“We must realise that fighting this problem will require a comprehensive programme.

“All this will take time. Even when Dr Mahathir was the party president, he tried to rid the party of corruption but it is still continuing until today,” he said.-The Star