Information, Communications and Culture Minister Rais Yatim said opposition political parties have run out of ideas and are pinching the work of the BN government.

NONE He said their own Merdeka Day themes had been used by the Information Department in its booklets on unity published in 2009.

The move to come up with their own themes for the celebration was a political game of the opposition to humiliate BN's success in the eyes of the people, more so when predictions were that the next general election would be held this year, he said in St Petersburg, Russia.

"They are desperate and bankrupt of ideas. They are also envious of the success and the fulfilled promises of the (federal) government all this while.

"As such, they just pinch whatever the Information Department has done and promote it as their own idea," he told Bernama .

NONE The Pakatan Rakyat has announced that the opposition-administered states would use three different themes for this year's Merdeka Day celebration because it did not agree with the federal government's theme of "55 Years of Independence, Promises Fulfilled".

The Kedah government is to use the theme "Terus Berbakti" (Continue to Serve), the Kelantan government, "Menerajui Perubahan" (Leading Change) and the Penang and Selangor governments, "Sebangsa, Senegara, Sejiwa" (One Nation, One Country, One Soul).

Rais said having three different themes simply went to show that the opposition political parties could not come to an agreement.

"This only proves that they cannot come to a consensus. I feel that the people can judge for themselves," he said.

Rais was here to attend the 9th Apec Ministerial Meeting on Telecommunications and Information Industry (Telmin 9).

'Pakatan Rakyat is a misnomer'

In a related development, the use of three different themes by Pakatan Rakyat states showed that they could not come to a consensus even over small matters, said Umno information chief Ahmad Maslan.

He said the lack of consensus among the Pakatan partners showed that they were "sleeping on the same pillow but having different dreams".

NONE "They would never be one on any matter because they are a disagreeing opposition pact, hence Pakatan Rakyat is a misnomer," he said after handing out Aidilfitri contributions to 100 poor people, the disabled and single mothers at Kampung Bukit Lanchong, Shah Alam yesterday.

Also present were Senator Ezam Mohd Noor and Barisan Nasional co-ordinator for the Sri Muda state constituency, Kamaruzzaman Johari.

Ahmad, who is also deputy minister in the Prime Minister’s Department, said the opposition feared the National Day theme chosen by the federal government as the opposition had not been keeping its promises to the people.

"Only a small portion of the opposition’s last general election manifesto in the four states has been implemented.

"That is why they have chosen different themes for the National Day celebration.

"In Islam, we are required to fulfil our promises, but obviously they (opposition) have done not done so, hence they are avoiding the 'Janji Ditepati' theme," he said.

- Bernama

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