BN ready to forestall last-minute opposition surprises – Zahid

SEGAMAT: The Barisan Nasional is prepared with preemptive measures to counter any last-minute surprises that the opposition may spring on the eve of polling in the general election, said Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi.

The Deputy Prime Minister and Home Minister said he believed that the opposition could attempt to launch slanderous attacks in its desperation to fish for votes before polling today.

“There will surely be (such attacks). In the last general election, in 2013, it was said that 40,000 Bangladeshis were brought in to vote for the BN. There was no such thing. Now, who else is going to come?

“At that time, we were unprepared, we had no preemptive measures. Now, we are ready,” he said when addressing a meet-the-people session and opening Dewan Muafakat Taman Yayasan near here yesterday.

Also present was Health Minister and MIC president Datuk Seri Dr S. Subramaniam who is defending the Segamat parliamentary seat for the BN.

Ahmad Zahid, who is carrying out the duties of Umno deputy president said he had expected personal attacks to be hurled at BN candidates, including Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak.

He said he himself was smeared when he was accused by the PKR Hutan Melintang candidate on postal votes in his parliamentary constituency.

“Do not be shocked if there are attacks on Datuk Seri Subra or other candidates. I will not be shocked if PM was also affected,” he added.

Ahmad Zahid said the fact that the Hutan Melintang candidate was willing to be in the lock-up, wearing lock-up attire to look after the postal vote boxes showed his distrust of the country’s laws.

Nonetheless, he reminded voters, especially voters who were still undecided, to be careful and not fall for last-minute defamation attacks.

He said the opposition was desperate as BN was in a better position at the moment.

Ahmad Zahid also drew the attention of voters that the opposition would continue with their attacks and slanders in the ‘live’ message by (former prime minister) Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad from Langkawi at 10 last night.

In this regard, he said he was confident BN would continue to be given the mandate based on the spirit of the coalition’s cooperation in the state.“I am confident Johor will remain in the BN as the spirit of Johor BN is unlike BN in Selangor and Penang in the past,” he said.

Meanwhile, Ahmad Zahid said he would ensure an Urban Transformation Centre would be built in Segamat if BN retained the seat.

“I promise that 150 days from now, I will return for something special in Segamat,” he added. Bernama