The curtains to the grand finale for BN's week-long campaign to recapture Hulu Selangor were raised tonight and saw the ruling coalition’s leaders make their last effort to rouse support for candidate P Kamalanathan.

NONE More than 5,000 residents and outsiders - mostly Indians and Malays - packed the environs of Apartment Kenanga, Taman Bunga Raya, in Bukit Beruntung to hear Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak, Dr Mahathir Mohamad and other BN leaders and figures speak on 'Legacy dan Harapan Bangsa' (The legacy and hopes of a nation).

The crowd was smaller than the Pakatan Rakyat rally held at the same time in Kuala Kubu Bahru which drew an estimated 15,000 people.

On stage with Najib and Mahathir were the prime minister's wife Rosmah Mansor, Deputy Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin, Kamalanathan, former Hulu Selangor PKR's division treasurer Dr Halili Rahmat, Gerakan leader Koh Tsu Koon, former PPP leader T Murugiah and representatives of Indian rights party Makkal Sakthi.

NONE Among the first of the speakers to address the crowd, Kamalanathan introduced himself as "Calon 1Malaysia," declared Mahathir to be his “idol” and urged the people of Hulu Selangor to vote for him.

"I promise that I will give all my strength to serve - morning, afternoon, evening and night - to strengthen 1Malaysia in Hulu Selangor."

"My promise is very normal. I don't want to promise the stars, the moon or a rocket," said the public relations manager, a relatively unknown figure despite being MIC national information chief.

The start of the end for Pakatan

Hulu Selangor, Kamalanathan told the crowd, should be the start of the end for Pakatan's rule in the state.

"The cleansing of a river starts from where it begins. The cleansing of Selangor starts from...?" asked Kamalanathan, to which the crowd responded: "Hulu selangor!"

Taking the stage after Kamalanathan, Najib went into an almost immediate launch of attacks on Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim.

The opposition, said the BN chairperson, had lied by claiming he would debate with Anwar this evening.

NONE "May I suggest that he (Anwar) debate with (Mohd) Saiful (Bukhari Azlan)?" jeered Najib, referring to Anwar's former aide who accused him of sodomy.

Despite swearing against resorting to any "personal attacks," Najib wondered out loud why Saiful - whom Anwar had initially described as being a mere 'teaboy' - enjoyed apparently special privileges.

"A teaboy who went all the way to Singapore (with Anwar)... What is so special about Saiful?" Najib asked, to laughter from the crowd.

Shifting to the defence, Najib swore he was not involved with murdered Mongolian national Altantuya Shaariibuu - whose case had been raised by the opposition to cast aspersions on him.

"By Allah and in His name, I have never known Altantuya. Don't make such accusations!" he thundered.

What does Pakatan stand for?

Following Najib, Mahathir took the stage - and a different tact - by asking what Pakatan had to offer as an alternative to BN's coalition of parties representing the interests of the various communities.

"(Granted,) we did not set up a single party for the different races. But we have a coalition of every race in our mixed party," said the former prime minister.

NONE "They purport to be an alternative front, making as if they are an alliance. Let's not believe that. An alliance can also be formed for wicked ends.

"Do we not see how they're always fighting and antagonising each other? Their aspirations are not for the nation, but (merely) so that Anwar becomes prime minister!

"That is why he is willing to do anything, (and) to disparage the country when overseas," said Mahathir.

The octogenarian asked further for the audience to consider the defection-racked track record of PKR and the viability of such a party to administer the country.

"We have to think very deeply whether they can really be an alternative to BN. Many members and lawyers have left their party," said Mahathir.

NONE While admitting that he had difficulty supporting leaders whom he disagreed with, Mahathir said Najib was someone deserving of support.

"I am the sort of person who finds it difficult to support people. If they don't do the right thing I won't support (them), even if they are my leaders.

“That is why I had problems with Tungku Abdul Rahman, I had problems with the person before this. But I see that Najib is working hard to strengthen BN,” he declared.

Referring briefly to the questionable religiosity of PKR candidate Zaid Ibrahim - "owning race horses - if they're meant for racing, then that's gambling" - Mahathir then focused his ire on Anwar.

Anwar 'obsessed'

Anwar, he said, was crazy with the prospect of getting to the top.

From being the chief of the Umno Youth wing to striving for the top post in the party until he reached his highest position as deputy prime minister, Anwar had insisted he qualified for higher and higher positions, said Mahathir.

The culmination of Anwar’s ambitions is his “obsession” with becoming prime minister, he said.

"A person who wants to become something desperately, he can go crazy. It's fate. If it is destined and God wants to grant it to us, we will get it.

"Our specialist doctor here know,” said Mahathir, gesturing to neurosurgeon Halili, “someone who wants something so desperately at the end turns out to become (unstable, like) Michael Jackson,” he quipped.

Winding up his speech, Mahathir told the audience that he believed "you will decided well” and return BN to represent Hulu Selangor in Parliament.

"With this, we hope BN will win with a bigger majority in the next general election," said Mahathir.