I turned down Wawasan twice, says NS Bersatu chief

 Hanifah Abu Baker says he met Wawasan leaders both before and after the Negeri Sembilan polls but rejected the party's overtures.

Bersatu’s Hanifah Abu Baker said he was offered the chance to contest under the PN logo in the recent Negeri Sembilan state election.

PETALING JAYA:

Negeri Sembilan Bersatu chief Hanifah Abu Baker has confirmed meeting Wawasan leaders, but says he rejected their invitation to join the party.

Responding to speculation over his contact with Wawasan, Hanifah said he was first approached by the party’s leadership several days before nomination day for the Negeri Sembilan state election.

He said he was offered the opportunity to contest using the Perikatan Nasional logo.

A second meeting with Wawasan leaders, he said, took place after the Negeri Sembilan election.

“However, I rejected all the offers to join Wawasan because I believe Bersatu remains on the right path in fighting for the interests of religion, race and country, and I have confidence in the leadership of (Bersatu president) Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin,” he told FMT.

Hanifah added that several senior Bersatu leaders were aware of his meetings with the Wawasan leadership.

Hanifah was fielded as Bersatu’s candidate for Labu in the recent Negeri Sembilan state election but was defeated by Barisan Nasional’s Siti Nur Umaira Hasim, who polled 14,209 votes against Hanifah’s 1,985.

He had held the seat since 2023, when he won it with a 1,640-vote majority. - FMT