Other countries have changed leaders but their problems have persisted and even intensified, warned Defence Minister Hishammuddin Hussein.

 

In appealing to the voters of Permatang Pauh last night, Hishammuddin cited the fate of former leaders in Libya, Iraq and Egypt - Muammar Gaddafi, Saddam Hussein and Hosni Mubarak.

 

"Okay, so we want to change (the government) because we are angry about the Goods and Services Tax (GST).

 

"They were so angry at Gaddafi that they shot him, at Saddam who was then hanged, at Mubarak (who was jailed).

 

"I want to ask the people of Permatang Pauh. Were the problems of these countries solved?" he asked, to which the audience present responded with “no”.

 

Hishammuddin, who spoke at Umno's Wisma Transformasi as part of the Permatang Puah by-election campaign, stressed that it was not impossible for the troubling events in these Middle East countries to happen here as well.

 

"So if you want to make a change, choose carefully... because the BN government is the government which is sincere and consistent in defending the people's rights," he said.

 

The defence minister also took the opportunity to lambast Pakatan Rakyat leaders who had claimed that they could find the still-missing Flight MH370 which disappeared in March last year.

 

"Can they really do it? You think it is easy to face the world? If you're so great, ask (PAS deputy president) Mohamad Sabu to answer questions thrown by (American television channel) CNN.

 

"If you're so great, ask (PKR vice-president) Tian Chua to go to China to get their help," he said.

 

‘Isn't Najib great?’

 

Hishammuddin, who was then acting transport minister, had conducted daily press conferences after the plane's disappearance and fielded questions posed by the media, both international and local.

 

As for the tragedy which befell Flight MH17, Hishammuddin praised his cousin Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak who had successfully negotiated with pro-Russian separatist leader Alexander Borodai to retrieve the plane's black boxes.

 

Hishammuddin said that this was proof that Najib is a capable leader.

 

"Isn't our leader great? Isn't Najib great? Isn't our prime minister great? Isn't our (party) president great?" he asked, to which the audience responded with “yes”.

 

"So why do people criticise him? What are his sins? This is politics of hatred, where everything one does is not right."

 

Najib is currently facing severe attacks from former premier Dr Mahathir Mohamad, who is calling for the prime minister to step down over his failed leadership and a string of scandals.

 

The Permatang Pauh by-election, which will be held next Thursday, was called after its incumbent parliamentarian, PKR de facto leader Anwar Ibrahim was sent to jail for sodomy.