New Zahid: BN adopting new strategy in Kuala Kangsar

Mastura Mohd Yazid will be introduced to the voters via broadcasting recordings of her speeches at all polling centres and targeted locations.

TOKYO: Barisan Nasional (BN) will adopt the “campaigning without the candidate” strategy for the Kuala Kangsar parliamentary by-election as its candidate, Mastura Mohd Yazid, is observing “iddah” (the waiting period following the death of a Muslim woman’s husband).

Deputy Prime Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said the newly adopted strategy of the BN machinery took into consideration the fatwa or edict according to the qat’ie law (definitive source of Islamic law) on the “iddah” period.

Umno had consulted several Muslim scholars, including those who are members of the National Fatwa Council, besides discussing it with Perak Mufti Harussani Zakaria, to clear the air on differing views over the BN’s candidate, who is observing “iddah”, he told Malaysian reporters here.

The deputy prime minister said as such, several methods had been sought to introduce Mastura to the voters, including broadcasting recordings of her speeches at all district polling centres and targeted locations, besides non-verbal communication methods.

“Rest assured that we (BN) have thought out this strategy to ensure that due respect is given to Islamic law and hope that the voters in Kuala Kangsar, comprising almost 60 per cent Muslims, will understand the situation,” he said.

Zahid said the campaign strategy of not having a candidate present had been explained to the Kuala Kangsar non-Muslim component leaders of BN to enable them to explain the matter to voters.

He said Mastura would stay home throughout the campaign period as she was observing the “iddah”.

When asked of the acceptance of Mastura by voters in the Kuala Kangsar parliamentary constituency, Zahid said the BN candidate had her own advantage as she had much experience in national politics.

She had mixed around with the electorate when her husband, Wan Mohammad Khair-il Anuar Wan Ahmad, was the state assemblyman of Bukit Chandan from 2004 to 2013, and was later made the Kuala Kangsar Member of Parliament in 2013, Zahid said.

“I am confident that she will be well-received as compared to other candidates who do not mix around in the constituency, thus she will surely be able to do her best,” he said.

He emphasised that the Private Member’s Bill to amend the Shariah Court Bill (Criminal Jurisdiction) in Kelantan would not affect the non-Muslims.

Zahid said non-Muslims need not worry about hudud laws because if amended, it would only involve Muslims, and furthermore, it had yet to be presented for debate in Parliament.

He said before a bill could be approved and enforced, it must go through seven stages which included gaining the approval of the Parliament, senate and the Conference of Rulers.

“All the processes involved would take a long time, and it would only be implemented in Kelantan. I hope that non-Muslims will not worry too much of the Private Member’s Bill introduced by Abdul Hadi Awang (Marang Member of Parliament and PAS president),” he added.

– BERNAMA