KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia's Prime Minister Najib Razak warned voters that the country could face an economic collapse if the opposition wins national elections that are to be held before April of next year. It is part of the ruling party's continued efforts to entice voters away from potentially voting in the opposition to power for the first time since the Southeast Asian country gained independence from the United Kingdom in 1957. Razak opened his ruling party's annual congress on Thursday with a forceful speech urging supporters to brace for what is expected to be one of Malaysia's most intensely fought elections. The PM's United Malays National Organization is determined to gain back seats they lost in setbacks from 2008 polls that triggered the multiethnic government coalition's worst performance in over five decades of uninterrupted rule. Razak accused the opposition in a nationally televised speech of banking on false promises to sway voters. He predicted “the national debt would soar and Malaysia would lose its economic sovereignty within three years if the opposition wins power.” But voters aren't convinced. Sian Lee, a carpenter in Kuala Lumpur told Bikyamasr.com that “the government is continuing to tell us that the country would be worse off with the opposition, but how can that be after the past few years? It doesn't make sense,” he said. Former Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamed has also joined the PM in a chorus of fearmongering, urging voters to elect the government in order to avoid chaos and turning the country back in time. Speaking to reporters, Mahathir was commenting on opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim's appeal for Australia to assist Malaysia in the next general election to make sure it will be corruption-free. Many citizens Bikyamasr.com spoke with agreed with the PR position, saying that if it made the election better then it would be helpful. “We have battled corruption greatly in this country and are doing a good job," said Kuala Lumpur-based businessman Islam Hassan. “Why not have monitors from Australia, it makes no difference to us." But Mahathir went further and questioned the opposition's ability to govern if elected. “If Pakatan rules, it will mean we have lost our independence, we have to ask the United States, ask Australia, ask everybody else," Mahathir said at a press conference after addressing the 3rd World Conference of Riba. The country's longest serving prime minister also claimed that PR's call for foreign election observers is an alleged attempt to “further destabilize and cause disarray in the country should they lose the polls. “If they lose they will hold demonstration about election fraud, government won because government cheated. “(They) want to riot like in the Arab countries so they can topple the government from outside the voting system," he added, referring to the Arab Spring revolutionary movement that swept the Arab world.
