No threats, please
BAGAN DATUK: Veiled threats made against Barisan Nasional ( BN) by any component party leader is not welcome, coalition deputy chairman Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said yesterday. While reminding all party leaders to respect the BN charter and stressing that the coalition’s interest is the highest of priorities, he said thinly-veiled statements or threats may jeopardise party unity. Ahmad Zahid, who is also caretaker deputy prime minister, said any problem stirred up by one of the 13 BN component parties should be resolved immediately if the leader concerned intends to contest in a seat already allocated to another component partner.
“The BN leadership will, of course, take i nto account the agreement on the seats that has been decided, whether t hey a r e on l oan temporarily or swapped with another seat,” Bernama quoted him as saying.
“However, if the leader concerned still wants to be insistent, I am certain he will eventually accept the reality that unity in BN is something that must be given priority,” he said. On the action of People’s Progressive Party (MyPPP) president Tan Sri M. Kayveas, who threatened to quit BN because he was unhappy that MIC was given the Cameron Highlands
seat, Ahmad Zahid said the issue would be resolved by Najib.
Ahmad Zahid said he understood Kayveas’ action as he knew him personally as a kind person and felt that his action was probably aimed at safeguarding the feelings of the party members under his leadership.
“I have met him and told him that there is a formula to resolve it, and becoming a candidate is not the ultimate solution.
“There are several ways to provide opportunities to the party concerned to be part of the administration as well as in other bodies under the government,” he said.
MyPPP had on Wednesday said it would consider whether to remain in BN after meeting Najib to discuss the allocation of its parliamentary seat.
Kayveas ( pix) had said the party wants to first see what it is offered and how it can move forward with BN, if the seat given to MyPPP is not in a constituency where it has been focusing its efforts and services.
Kayveas said the party would meet Najib before the allocation of seats to BN component parties are finalised.
While visiting the voting district centre in Sungai Sumun here, Ahmad Zahid said in politics, such issues are common every time there is a general election and it does not happen only within BN but is faced by the Opposition as well.
He expressed confidence that Najib has a formula to deal with the problem.
Ahmad Zahid said Umno has even sacrificed seats for candidates of BN component parties in the last polls because the leadership and party members believed that the individuals concerned could represent BN.
“As long as a candidate who has been selected is with a BN party, he should be supported by all party members and the leadership,” he added.