Be more careful like Zahid, DAP man tells ‘brazen’ Tok Mat

 Aziz Bari says BN chairman Ahmad Zahid Hamidi has shown more restraint against federal ally PH on the campaign trail.

Perak DAP vice-chairman Aziz Bari (left) said Umno deputy president Mohamad Hasan must choose between exercising restraint while remaining in the Cabinet, and going all out while contesting as a candidate in the Negeri Sembilan state election.

PETALING JAYA:

A DAP leader has urged Umno deputy president Mohamad Hasan to tread more cautiously when issuing statements during campaigning for the 16th Negeri Sembilan state election.

Following Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s warning to ministers against attacking government colleagues, Perak DAP vice-chairman Aziz Bari said Mohamad, better known as Tok Mat, could learn a thing or two from Barisan Nasional chairman Ahmad Zahid Hamidi.

Aziz described Zahid, who is also the deputy prime minister, as showing more restraint and prudence when making public statements on the campaign trail, even in Johor.

“Zahid has been careful in making statements, unlike Mohamad, who’s so brazen.

“Mohamad has got to choose between exercising restraint while remaining in the Cabinet, and going all out while contesting as a candidate in the state election,” he told FMT.

Aziz, the two-term Tebing Tinggi assemblyman, also questioned how far Mohamad could campaign without attacking federal partner Pakatan Harapan, especially since BN and opposition coalition Perikatan Nasional have an electoral pact.

“How can one avoid attacking the federal government while seeking to promote the Umno-PAS cooperation?” he said.

At the unveiling of BN’s candidates for the state polls last week, Mohamad said the coalition would be working with “friends we can trust”, alluding that federal partner PH could not be trusted.

On Sunday, Anwar said members of the federal government who turn the state elections into a platform to attack others should step down from their positions.

In response, Mohamad said he was ready to resign as the foreign minister if the prime minister ordered him to do so.

However, the Rantau candidate for BN said he has no intention of attacking other leaders in the unity government during the Aug 1 polls campaign.

Separately, Umno vice-president Khaled Nordin, who is also the defence minister, said appointments to the Cabinet were the prime minister’s discretion, and Anwar would have already removed ministers if he genuinely did not “like” them. - FMT