PM: It is to give Barisan candidates the edge

SYDNEY: Announcing Barisan Nasional candidates earlier than usual will allow them time to prepare and solve problems in certain constituencies, said Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak.

Bernama reported Najib as saying that in a break with tradition, Barisan might announce its candidates for the general election earlier instead of two or three days before nomination day.

“We will do it earlier this time but not too early. If there are problems in certain constituencies, we will have time to resolve it.

“It will also give time for the candidates to make preparations,” he told Malaysian reporters here yesterday.

Najib said he already has the initial list of candidates but needed time to scrutinise this before mak- ing the announcement.

On a suggestion for Barisan to name its candidate for the Selangor Mentri Besar post should it manage to wrest back the state, Najib said this could be done if all Barisan leaders agreed to it.

“If there is a consensus, why not? But there must be a strong consensus.

Former Selangor Mentri Besar Tan Sri Muhammad Muhammad Taib had called on Barisan to name the candidate for the post so that voters could choose him in the polls, giving the coalition an advantage.

In Kota Baru, Defence Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein said Barisan was ready with its candidate list following a stringent screening procedure.

Hishammuddin, who is also Umno vice-president, said various parameters had been used to identify personalities acceptable to the rakyat.

“I have not seen party leadership making such detailed preparations before,” he said after opening the armed forces family home project in Kok Lanas here.