Set aside differences and vote for BN, says Zahid

JOHOR BARU: Johor voters should put aside their differences and support candidates fielded by Barisan Nasional in GE14, says Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi.

The Deputy Prime Minister said voters should not dwell on “nittygritty” issues and urged Barisan component party members to wrest back seats won by the Opposition in the last general election.

“We also want our candidates who won before to win with bigger majorities,” he added when launching the Johor Barisan election machinery at the Pasir Gudang indoor stadium here yesterday.

The Opposition holds five parliamentary and 19 state seats in Johor. The state has 26 parliamentary and 56 state seats.

Dr Ahmad Zahid said he was happy with the state Barisan’s preparations for the polls and urged its election workers, especially at the voting district levels, to identify their voters and engage with them.

Asked about the candidates list, he said most had been finalised but Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak would have a discussion with state chiefs before a final decision was made.

Asked about talk that some Barisan leaders might be asked to contest two seats, he said it was the prerogative of the coalition president.

At an earlier event, Dr Ahmad Zahid urged the people to reject Opposition politicians who were “nomads” – those who moved around and only showed up during elections.

Instead, he asked the people to choose Barisan candidates who were committed in carrying out their duties.

“Why choose a politician who only comes around once every five years?”

Dr Ahmad Zahid, who was on a oneday visit here, handed out house keys to 320 squatters who were relocated to apartments in Desa Jaya.

He also asked the people to continue supporting their MP Tan Sri Shahrir Abdul Samad.

Meanwhile, Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin asked the people to protect their MP from Opposition candidates such as DAP adviser Lim Kit Siang or Datuk Zaid Ibrahim.

“He (Shahrir) is a pearl that needs to be protected,” he said.

He added that some RM303mil was spent to build 2,720 houses to relocate squatters from six villages.

The relocation was done to enable the building of the Eastern Dispersal Link.

At the event, Dr Ahmad Zahid also announced RM8mil to repaint houses, to build a hall and allocations to community bodies, NGOs and resident associations within the Johor parliamentary seat.