BN chief Najib Razak said reducing petrol prices was not as beneficial to the poor as his BR1M cash handouts.

NONE “If we reduce the price of petrol, who benefits? The rich would benefit. The rich who have big cars are the ones who benefit. The foreign workers benefit too.

“But when we give BR1M, who benefits? The rakyat benefits. We get five sheets (of RM100 notes).

“When we get BR1M, not the only the rakyat benefits, but also the shopkeepers, the farmer’s markets, and weekend markets. The economy would grow,” he said to cheers from the audience.

He was speaking to roughly 1,000 participants at a 1Malaysia function this morning at Dataran Umno in Bagan Serai.

Also present are BN Perak chief Zambry Kader and BN Bagan Serai candidate Dr Noor Azmi Ghazali.

In his speech, Najib also urged the audience to fulfil their “promise” by voting for BN in the polls.

“I have fulfilled my promise to you, when are you going to fulfil your promise to me?” he asked, to which the crowd shouted back, “May 5”, which is the election date.

NONE On Sunday, while on his rounds of eight parliamentary seats in Perak, including Kuala Kangsar, PKR de facto leader Anwar Ibrahim ( right ) promised to lower the price of petrol should Pakatan form the next government.

"We must win come May 5, as we want to occupy Putrajaya. The next day, when we form the government, we will announce the reduction in the price of petrol. We have to study and make plans.

"What is the use of having a lot of money if it is not used to ease the burden of the people?" the former deputy prime minister said to loud cheers from the crowd at the Kuala Kangsar ceramah site.

Meanwhile, Najib, in his speech, also took a swipe at his political opponents for their involvement in the Bersih pro-electoral reform rallies.

“There is no benefit for the opposition in organising Bersih 1.0, 2.0 and 3.0. They did Bersih 1.0, I countered with BR1M. They did Berish 2.0, I countered with BR1M 2.

“This is a government that puts the people’s interests first,” he said.