PETALING JAYA: Ahmad Zahid Hamidi has assured Umno members not to worry about the party’s cooperation with DAP ahead of the Simpang Jeram state by-election.
The Umno president told the party’s machinery in Simpang Jeram that the current political reality has changed and reminded them not to be influenced by the negative sentiments played up by the opposition.
The Barisan Nasional chairman talked about the time when Umno used to cooperate with Gerakan, which is now a component party of Perikatan Nasional.
“Don’t worry, back then we were friends with Gerakan. They were even worse (than DAP).
“We must believe that what we are doing now is right because the political landscape has changed,” Zahid said at a ceramah in Simpang Jeram.
He called on Umno members to throw their support behind Pakatan Harapan’s candidate in Simpang Jeram, Nazri Abdul Rahman, of Amanah.
He also expressed his confidence in DAP helping the unity government campaign for the Pulai and Simpang Jeram by-elections despite them not contesting there.
“They (DAP) are not contesting, but they are helping us as we need them.
“They’ll assist us here,. But in many other areas where DAP contests, they’ll need Malay votes.
“There, we’ll help them; here, they will help us. This is the reality of the new politics,” he said.
Zahid also said the by-elections were the first test for the unity government in Johor and victory there would be an important milestone for the unity government.
The Pulai parliamentary seat and the Simpang Jeram state seat were vacated following the death of Salahuddin Ayub on July 23.
In Simpang Jeram, Amanah’s Nazri , an engineer, will be contesting against vascular surgeon Dr Mazri Yahya of PAS and independent candidate S Jeghanaathan.
In Pulai, PH’s Suhaizan Kaiat will face PN’s Zulkifli Jaafar and independent Samsudin Fauzi. - FMT
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