“Without Umno, Malays will be liberated.”

“Mara does not need Umno either.”

The MP was upset that Prime Minister Najib Razak had claimed in a speech, marking Mara’s 50th anniversary, that the agency would cease to exist without Umno.

“The prime minister should not equate Mara’s survival with Umno’s existence.

“Something as fundamental as education should be a given. A government fails badly if it cannot even provide for students to study.”

With or without Umno, Mara will still be there, she added. “The prime minister should know that funding for Mara comes from the taxpayers, which also includes the 52% who support the Opposition.”

If Najib truly believes that only Umno can ensure the survival of Mara, try surviving on Umno taxpayers’ money alone, she challenged.

Zuraida pointed out that Umno and Barisan Nasional (BN) had been bogged down by scandal after scandal.

“This cannot be a good example for future leaders. By politicising his speech at an educational facility, the prime minister has really stooped too low this time.”

Mara’s success is the rakyat’s success, not the prime minister’s or Umno’s, she argued. “He’s childish to claim credit for something that rightfully belongs to the general public.”

If anything, said Zuraida, the prime minister should make sure that his education minister does his job well and implements policies that benefit the rakyat.

“Instead of always politicking and lobbying for support for an ailing Umno, the prime minister should just focus on good governance.”