BN’s Johol candidate bows out

Fadzil Abu Kassim says concern for Umno unity prompted his decision.

SEREMBAN: The Barisan Nasional candidate for the Negeri Sembilan state seat of Johol, Umno’s Fadzil Abu Kassim, has withdrawn from the race, citing concern for party unity.

His replacement is Abu Samah Mahat (photo below), 62, a member of the Kuala Pilah Umno divisional committee.

Announcing this at a press conference here today, Menteri Besar Mohamad Hasan confirmed reports that Fadzil’s nomination had caused discontent among Umno members in Johol.

“There was some problem in Johol,” he said. “Fadzil contacted me and updated me on the tense situation there.

“He himself told me that he is pulling out from the race to make sure we don’t face problems in Johol.”

Mohamad paid tribute to Fadzil for “putting the interest of the party before himself.”

He said Fadzil assured him that he had no problem in giving way to another candidate from Kuala Pilah Umno.

“However, I gave him one day to rethink. The next day he maintained the decision. So I accepted it.”

Mohamad said he then asked Kuala Pilah Umno chief Ismail Lasim to submit the names of alternative candidates.

Ismail gave two names and Mohamad forwarded these to BN chairman Najib Tun Razak, who picked Abu Samah.

Mohamad described their new candidate as someone with “vast experience” in politics.

Abu Samah is the deputy director of the Johol BN election campaign. He graduated from the University of Oklahoma City and once served as director of RTM’s Radio 3 for Negeri Sembilan.

Internal problems

Answering a journalist’s question, Mohamad admitted that BN was grappling with internal problems in “one or two” electoral constituencies but added that he was confident these would be settled amicably among the division leaders concerned.

He had one advice for grassroots leaders and their followers: “Don’t repeat the 2008 mistake [of internal sabotage].

“Whether the candidate is well known or not, that should not be the main issue. We must look into the potential of the candidate to win the seat.

“Our focus should be to win the election and form the government, not get distracted by internal fueding.”

Mohamad also criticised PKR for its slowness in deciding on its list of candidates for Negeri Sembilan.

“They boasted and said that they would announce their candidates on the same day as BN, but nothing has happened until today,” he said.

“They have internal problems. There is unhappiness among the hardcore party members.”