BN has never used back-door tactics, says Zahid

BN chairman Ahmad Zahid Hamidi urged Tanjung Piai voters not to be fooled.

PETALING JAYA: Barisan Nasional chairman Ahmad Zahid Hamidi has again denied that the coalition intends to use “back door” tactics to regain power.

“We have never played back-door tactics or whatever. We go through the front way. We see our strength through using the ‘front’ way,” he said at a gathering today leading up to BN’s announcement of its candidate for the Tanjung Piai by-election next month.
Zahid had been reported yesterday as saying that Umno could regain its strength by becoming a “third force” in politics.

“There are 40 (MPs) from Umno and BN if we are united. Then there are 18 from PAS. God willing, 18 from Sarawak, nine from Sabah and five more will join us. They will join us. We don’t have to look for them,” said Zahid.

However, senior DAP member P Ramasamy poured cold water this morning on Zahid’s claim, saying the opposition remaineds divided on a host of matters.

At this evening’s gathering in Pontian, Zahid added that the Pakatan Harapan government had continued to defend the “crimes” committed by their MPs.

In a veiled jibe, he mentioned a rape allegation against a member of the PH government.

Perak executive councillor Paul Yong Choo Kiong of the DAP is recently on trial on a rape charge involving an Indonesian domestic worker.

Another reference was to “an individual who was tried in Malaysia” over the purchase of a bungalow and the construction of a tunnel, most likely Finance Minister Lim Guan Eng who was charged over the bungalow purchase while chief minister of Penang. The case was later dropped by the Attorney-General’s Chambers.

Zahid also spoke favourably of the MCA, who have claimed the right to nominate the BN candidate for the Tanjung Piai by-election.

“I respect the MCA president (Wee Ka Siong) who continues to bring up the issue of the bungalow purchase and the tunnel construction,” he said.

He added that it was important for Umno and MCA to work together during BN’s Tanjung Piai campaign, “to restore BN’s dignity”.

“We want to send a message to the government, that the rakyat in Tanjung Piai will not be lied to again.”

Zahid dismissed the government’s announcement of RM7 million in allocations for the constituency as “a planned coincidence”.

Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad had defended the allocations for several projects in the constituency, saying it was a “coincidence” that they were given in the run-up of the Tanjung Piai by-elections.

Zahid said: “They say, ‘This is not to buy votes, but this is us providing allocations. This is all a coincidence.’

“It is a planned coincidence,” he said. “Tanjung Piai, do not be fooled again.”

“This time, if they give you rice, take the rice. If they give you sugar, take the sugar. If they give you textile (kain sic), take the textile. If they give you money, take the money. But to vote for them, no way, we will not give them that any more,” Zahid said, greeted by loud cheers from the crowd. - FMT