Najib holds closed-door meeting with Kedah Umno-BN leaders

Jerlun MP Othman Aziz says PM wants BN to secure a two-thirds majority in Kedah in GE14.

ALOR SETAR: Prime Minister Najib Razak held a closed-door meeting with the Kedah Umno liaison committee and state Barisan Nasional (BN) leadership at a hotel here tonight.

The one-hour meeting, which started at 9pm, was also attended by Kedah menteri besar and state BN chairman Ahmad Bashah Md Hanipah.

Also present were BN state assemblymen, heads of state Umno divisions and leaders of Kedah BN components and their wings.

However, no statement was issued to the press on the meeting.

Earlier, Najib, who is also BN chairman, had attended a dinner with 200 state Umno and BN leaders at the same hotel.

The meeting was Najib’s last programme during his one-day visit to Kedah today before heading back to Putrajaya.

Deputy finance minister and Jerlun MP Othman Aziz, who attended the meeting, told reporters that Najib wanted the Kedah Umno/BN leadership to defend their existing 10 parliamentary seats and wrest several more in the 14th general election (GE14), which has to be called by August next year.

“Najib also wanted BN to secure a two-thirds majority in Kedah,” he said.

He added that the prime minister had told the leaders not to be split but to put the coalition’s interests ahead of their own to ensure a resounding victory in GE14.

State Umno Youth head Shaiful Hazizy Zainol Abidin said the prime minister had also urged the state Umno/BN leadership not to make mistakes during this crucial period, with the election around the corner.

“We are confident of a big victory in Kedah so long as the coalition is strong and not beset by conflicts,” he said.

He added that Najib had said that candidates for GE14 must be popular with the grassroots, and that it was not enough if they were only popular at the federal level. -FMT