TAPAH: Barisan Nasional (BN) is more focused on promoting its candidate rather than attacking its opponents during the Ayer Kuning state by-election campaign, UMNO vice-president Datuk Seri Johari Abdul Ghani said.
He said this strategy makes the coalition closer to the people and reflects BN’s political maturity in seeking to win voters’ hearts in a clean and respectful manner.
“I told the campaign team that BN must present itself differently from other parties. We do not want a campaign that attacks others; instead, we want to promote our candidate,” he told reporters after meeting the BN by-election machinery at the Kampung Rahmat polling district here today.
On the campaign progress, Johari, who is also Plantation and Commodities Minister, said the good cooperation between BN and the Pakatan Harapan (PH) machinery to support BN’s candidate Dr Mohamad Yusri Bakir demonstrates the strong partnership within the Unity Government.
“When we have this concept, a good party, a good candidate and a united machinery, it is usually very difficult to lose. We urge them to continue working hard until the end of the campaign,” he said.
Meanwhile, BN secretary-general Datuk Seri Dr Zambry Abd Kadir said that adopting a moderate campaign approach can help maintain the long-standing harmony among various races in the country, particularly in the Ayer Kuning constituency.
Zambry, who is also Higher Education Minister, said the understanding and unity among races in Ayer Kuning have long been established through the multiracial leadership composition in the Tapah parliamentary constituency.
“When I served as the Menteri Besar (of Perak), it was already like this, where representatives came from various backgrounds — Malay, Chinese, Indian. For me, this symbolises the unity of the people here,” he told reporters after attending the KPT@Tapah Outreach Programme here.
The Ayer Kuning by-election on Saturday (April 26) will see a three-cornered contest between Mohamad Yusri, Perikatan Nasional’s (PN) Abd Muhaimin Malek, and Parti Sosialis Malaysia (PSM) candidate Bawani KS.
The by-election was called following the death of the BN incumbent Ishsam Shahruddin on Feb 22.
