The development in states administered by the Pakatan Rakyat coalition is a legacy of the BN government, Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Ahmad Maslan said today.

"The Pakatan is merely an occupant of the BN development, whether it is in Kedah, Kelantan, Penang or Selangor, and more so in (the parliamentary constituency of) Hulu Selangor.

"They had two years but they have done nothing. All the development was provided by the BN. We have 50 primary schools and 16 secondary schools (in Hulu Selangor), for example," he told reporters after opening a motivational programme for parents and presentation of excellence awards at Sekolah Kebangsaan Kerling, near Kuala Kubu Bahru.

As such, Ahmad, who is Umno information chief, called on voters in Hulu Selangor to reject "these occupants" to enable the BN federal government to continue providing development there.

He also refuted a claim that the 1Malaysia concept introduced by Prime Minister Najib Razak was copied from the One Israel concept.

"As the prime minister had said, (the) 1Malaysia (concept) was not copied from any other. I want to state that there are several of these One concepts, among them One China Policy, One America, One World Organisation, Russia One. We did not duplicate because the components are not the same," he said.

1Malaysia concept getting popular

Ahmad said 1Malaysia emphasised the theme of "People First, Performance Now" and also unity in a multiracial population as well as the eight principles (a culture of excellence, perseverance, humility, acceptance, loyalty, meritocracy, education, and integrity).

He said that privatisation, for example, was implemented by many countries and it could not be said that Malaysia had also copied it.

Ahmad said the opposition political parties equated 1Malaysia with One Israel because they feared that the 1Malaysia concept was gaining greater acceptance by the people.

"This is merely an allegation by the opposition because they cannot bear the popularity 1Malaysia was gaining. So, they charge that 1Malaysia is similar to One Israel," he said.

Voters in Hulu Selangor will go to the polls on April 25 to elect a new member of parliament following the death of the incumbent, Dr Zainal Abidin Ahmad of PKR, on March 25.

The BN will field a candidate from the MIC in the by-election, nomination for which is on April 17.

- Bernama