Haliza: The show must go on
BATU PAHAT: For someone who has been attacked since her counterpart was dropped from the candidate list, lawyer Haliza Abdullah (pic) has shown much resilience.
“The show must go on,” said the Batu Pahat Wanita Umno chief, who has been picked as candidate for the Batu Pahat parliamentary seat, instead of division chief Datuk Dr Mohd Puad Zarkashi.
Since he was dropped on Monday, Dr Mohd Puad has been criticising the Umno candidate selection system, saying it was flawed and that unfit leaders were selected.
Haliza has had to bear the brunt of the attacks and allegations against her.
In an interview, Haliza maintained that she did not lobby to be the Batu Pahat candidate.
“I did not lobby nor harbour the wish to be chosen as the Batu Pahat candidate.
“The top leaders did it. I thought the Wanita wing would be given the Senggarang state seat,” she said.
Haliza said she would not resort to personal attacks and that she had asked her supporters to remain calm and work towards win- ning back the seat won by PKR in the last elections.
“I have told them that we should not resort to disparaging our leaders whether in or outside the party.
“Umno needs to be united as disunity will just weaken us.
“Even if he (Dr Mohd Puad) leaves the party, we will not attack him as he has contributed to Umno,” she said, adding that she had already met with the Umno machinery about working towards a victory for Barisan Nasional in the parliamentary and state seats.
Asked whether the attacks had dampened her spirit, Haliza said she was going to double her efforts as she was not only handling opponents from the outside but also those from the inside.
She credited her four children, aged between 17 and 29, as her pillars of strength.
“They have all come back to help. My brother is also helping out in the campaign,” she said, adding that she was a local and her elderly parents had held posts in Umno in the past.
Haliza will be facing off against PKR’s Datuk Mohd Rashid Hasnon, who is the Penang Deputy Chief Minister I.