Najib to campaign in Chini

The High Court yesterday granted Datuk Seri Najib Razak a day off from his 1Malaysia Development Bhd trial for him to return to Pekan and campaign for the Barisan Nasional (BN) candidate in the Chini by-election.

High Court judge Collin Lawrence Sequerah vacated today’s hearing after Najib’s lead counsel Tan Sri Muhammad Shafee Abdullah said his client needed to fulfil his statutory duties as a member of parliament for Pekan and campaign for his party’s candidate in the Chini state constituency.

Shafee said it was crucial for Najib to return and campaign as there were signs voters were taking things easy due to the nature of candidates who were contesting.

“It is an important by-election but voters may take it for granted and not come out to vote.

“His presence there is critical as Chini is under Pekan. He needs to whip up the excitement for people to go out and vote,” Shafee said when pleading for the judge to vacate today’s hearing.

The senior counsel said Najib had lined up a hectic three-day programme, including a visit to an Orang Asli village this morning, before polling day this Saturday.

“He will be going from pillar to post campaigning in Chini,” he said, adding that Najib’s schedule would start from yesterday evening until tomorrow night.

Sequerah later allowed today’s hearing to be vacated but not before reminding Shafee that many days of the trial had been lost before this due to various circumstances.

The Chini by-election will see a three-cornered fight between BN candidate Mohd Sharim Md Zain and independent candidates Tengku Datuk Zainul Hisham Tengku Hussin and Mohd Shukri Mohd Ramli.

The state assembly seat, which has 20,990 voters, was declared vacant following the death of incumbent assemblyman, Datuk Seri Abu Bakar Harun, on May 6.