Najib helps campaign for Barisan Nasional by-election candidate

SHAH ALAM: Umno is not discouraged by the reduced participation of fellow Barisan Nasional (BN) component parties MCA and MIC in the BN campaign for the Sungai Kandis state by- election, said former Umno president Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak.

He said Umno understood that MCA, which won only one parliamentary seat in the last general election, and MIC, which won two parliamentary seats, were rectifying their weaknesses to strengthen themselves in terms of spirit and leadership.

“Nevertheless, MIC leaders have been helping us campaign,” he said to reporters after a walkabout with the BN candidate, Datuk Lokman Noor Adam, and Umno deputy president Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan in Kampung Sungai Kandis here yesterday.

Najib said Lokman, an Umno Supreme Council member, was bold in voicing his opinions and would contribute to mature democracy in the Selangor Legislative Assembly. Asked whether the freezing of the Umno account by the Malaysian Anti- Corruption Commission since June 28 had affected the byelection campaign, he said it had not because the by-election involved only minimum expenditure.

Asked whether BN would have discussions with PAS for its assistance in the campaign, Najib said it was up to Umno president Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi to make the appropriate move.

“It’s a given fact among PAS supporters that they see Umno’s commitment towards Islam far greater than Pakatan Harapan’s, but we also have to be realistic because of the decades- old animosity between PAS and Umno. There could be some lingering feelings that we cannot overlook but, hopefully, people will realise that the most important thing is not the past but the future,” he said, denying that Umno and PAS only championed the Malays and Islam.

The Sungai Kandis by- election has been necessitated by the death of the assemblyman, Mat Shuhaimi Shafiei of PKR, on July 2.

It is a three- cornered contest among Lokman, Mohd Zawawi Ahmad Mughni of PKR and independent candidate K Murthy.

Polling is on Aug 4.