Showing posts with label BN. Show all posts
Showing posts with label BN. Show all posts
Sunday, April 18, 2010
HULU SELANGOR, April 17 (Bernama) -- Barisan Nasional (BN) component parties are confident that the coalition has made the right decision in picking MIC Information Chief P. Kamalanathan as the candidate in its quest to wrest back the Hulu Selangor parliamentary seat.
MCA Deputy president Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai said the BN had a better chance judging from the huge turnout of about 10,000 highly-spirited BN supporters at today's nomination process.
"I am confident we will able to win this by-election. What we need to do now is to make sure we continue to receive a good support," he told reporters after the nomination process at Kuala Kubu Baharu Multipurpose Hall here today.
The MCA would go all out to support the BN candidate especially in all 13 new villages in the constituency, he said, adding that all MCA leaders had been instructed to concentrate on the constituency in the next seven campaigning days.
Gerakan president Tan Sri Dr Koh Tsu Koon said the spirit among BN machinery was high and that the selection of a new face as candidate augured well for them as it would give the coalition a fresh start.
"We will work closely with the BN machinery, particularly in solving issues and problems raised by the local population," he said.
Dr Koh also noted what he described as changes in terms of sentiment among the voters in favour of the BN this past few weeks, but said that the BN machinery would continue to work hard to win more support.
Sarawak United People's Party (SUPP) president Tan Sri Dr George Chan Hong Nam said with BN fielding a new candidate, it would make the party more appealing to the people.
"He (Kamalanathan) is our best choice and there is a lot of goodwill among the top BN leadership in reaching the decision to field him.
"I can see the mood among the people are much better now as compared to the last general election," he added.
MCA Deputy president Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai said the BN had a better chance judging from the huge turnout of about 10,000 highly-spirited BN supporters at today's nomination process.
"I am confident we will able to win this by-election. What we need to do now is to make sure we continue to receive a good support," he told reporters after the nomination process at Kuala Kubu Baharu Multipurpose Hall here today.
The MCA would go all out to support the BN candidate especially in all 13 new villages in the constituency, he said, adding that all MCA leaders had been instructed to concentrate on the constituency in the next seven campaigning days.
Gerakan president Tan Sri Dr Koh Tsu Koon said the spirit among BN machinery was high and that the selection of a new face as candidate augured well for them as it would give the coalition a fresh start.
"We will work closely with the BN machinery, particularly in solving issues and problems raised by the local population," he said.
Dr Koh also noted what he described as changes in terms of sentiment among the voters in favour of the BN this past few weeks, but said that the BN machinery would continue to work hard to win more support.
Sarawak United People's Party (SUPP) president Tan Sri Dr George Chan Hong Nam said with BN fielding a new candidate, it would make the party more appealing to the people.
"He (Kamalanathan) is our best choice and there is a lot of goodwill among the top BN leadership in reaching the decision to field him.
"I can see the mood among the people are much better now as compared to the last general election," he added.
HULU SELANGOR, April 18 (Bernama) -- Voters in Hulu Selangor, who will be choosing their new Member of Parliament on April 25, are now generally in favour of the Barisan Nasional (BN) compared to when the general election was held in 2008, said deputy prime minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin.
Muhyiddin, who is also BN deputy chairman and Umno deputy president, said their openness to hear out BN leaders on issues dear to them showed that they were willing to accept the ruling coalition.
"I hope this momentum can be sustained and strengthened further. We will step up our campaign activities for the remaining six days before polling begins," he told reporters after meeting the people of Hulu Yam Timur, here on Sunday.
The deputy prime minister also said the BN election machinery would not take things for granted but would go all out to woo voters in the constituency, which was a BN stronghold prior to the 2008 election.
Asked about allegations by the Opposition that the Election Commission (EC) had changed the polling stations of some 13,400 voters, Muhyiddin said the matter should be referred to the EC.
"I am not aware of this. Let the EC explain, but I do not think they would do this. The Opposition always like to make baseless accusations... this matter needs to be clarified by the EC," he said.
Asked about Opposition claims that the Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) candidate Datuk Zaid Ibrahim would be accepted by Muslims in Hulu Selangor as compared to Muslims in Kota Baharu because they (Hulu Selangor Muslims) were more open minded, Muhyiddin said Muslims were the same anywhere.
"Their expectations are the same. I leave it to the (Muslim) voters to make their own judgement," he said.
Touching on the APCO issue, he said the government was not hiding anything and had clarified the matter a number of times.
"APCO is not an Israeli company..it is an international company that was hired to promote Malaysia. They are experts in the field and we pay them to promote our country.
"They are not involed in policy making. The Opposition-ruled states also use foreign companies to attract investment. This is a normal matter," he said.
He said the Opposition were resorting to accusing APCO as an Israeli entity because they saw the 1Malaysia slogan as a threat to their survival.
"Because the 1Malaysia concept has recieved all round support, they are trying all sorts of tricks to scuttle it. The 1Malaysia initiative introduced by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak is for the good of the country, not to be politicised," he said.
He said Hulu Selangor were sending positive signals and understood the approach taken by Najib unlike PKR where the leaders in it themselves had expressed disappointment in the party's top leadership.
"The feel good factor is beginning to be there, the slogan is not important. We cannot compare 1Malaysia with 1Israel. Because many Malaysians have adopted the slogan, the Opposition are starting to twist it around for political mileage," Muhyiddin added.
The Hulu Selangor by-election on April 25 is a four-cornered fight between the BN's P. Kamalanathan, the MIC Information Chief; Zaid, who was formely minister in the prime minister's department when he was in UMNO, and two independent candidates.
-- BERNAMA
Muhyiddin, who is also BN deputy chairman and Umno deputy president, said their openness to hear out BN leaders on issues dear to them showed that they were willing to accept the ruling coalition.
"I hope this momentum can be sustained and strengthened further. We will step up our campaign activities for the remaining six days before polling begins," he told reporters after meeting the people of Hulu Yam Timur, here on Sunday.
The deputy prime minister also said the BN election machinery would not take things for granted but would go all out to woo voters in the constituency, which was a BN stronghold prior to the 2008 election.
Asked about allegations by the Opposition that the Election Commission (EC) had changed the polling stations of some 13,400 voters, Muhyiddin said the matter should be referred to the EC.
"I am not aware of this. Let the EC explain, but I do not think they would do this. The Opposition always like to make baseless accusations... this matter needs to be clarified by the EC," he said.
Asked about Opposition claims that the Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) candidate Datuk Zaid Ibrahim would be accepted by Muslims in Hulu Selangor as compared to Muslims in Kota Baharu because they (Hulu Selangor Muslims) were more open minded, Muhyiddin said Muslims were the same anywhere.
"Their expectations are the same. I leave it to the (Muslim) voters to make their own judgement," he said.
Touching on the APCO issue, he said the government was not hiding anything and had clarified the matter a number of times.
"APCO is not an Israeli company..it is an international company that was hired to promote Malaysia. They are experts in the field and we pay them to promote our country.
"They are not involed in policy making. The Opposition-ruled states also use foreign companies to attract investment. This is a normal matter," he said.
He said the Opposition were resorting to accusing APCO as an Israeli entity because they saw the 1Malaysia slogan as a threat to their survival.
"Because the 1Malaysia concept has recieved all round support, they are trying all sorts of tricks to scuttle it. The 1Malaysia initiative introduced by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak is for the good of the country, not to be politicised," he said.
He said Hulu Selangor were sending positive signals and understood the approach taken by Najib unlike PKR where the leaders in it themselves had expressed disappointment in the party's top leadership.
"The feel good factor is beginning to be there, the slogan is not important. We cannot compare 1Malaysia with 1Israel. Because many Malaysians have adopted the slogan, the Opposition are starting to twist it around for political mileage," Muhyiddin added.
The Hulu Selangor by-election on April 25 is a four-cornered fight between the BN's P. Kamalanathan, the MIC Information Chief; Zaid, who was formely minister in the prime minister's department when he was in UMNO, and two independent candidates.
-- BERNAMA
 P. Kamalanathan |
"I will listen to all your problems...please give me a chance to serve you," he told the crowd, about half of whom were women.
Accompanying him were Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin and senior BN leaders, all of whom had adjourned there after Kamalanathan had filed his nomination at the adjacent nomination centre.
Kamalanathan started by introducing himself and his wife S. Shobana, 38, a senior public relations manager with a private medical centre who has taken a nine-day leave to help her husband in his campaign. He spoke for about 10 minutes.
"I am a local candidate...so I will not run away to KL or Kota Baru," he said, taking a swipe at his PKR rival Datuk Mohd Zaid Ibrahim who hails from Kota Baru, Kelantan.
"I am here to represent Barisan Nasional and the ideals of 1Malaysia concept. I don't want to just ask you for your votes. I want to be your friend as well for a long time, not for these eight days only."
Those present, especially the elderly, gave Kamalanathan a rousing applause.
A resident, Rahmah Osman, 68, gave her appraisal: "He speaks very good Malay and his words are very convincing....and he is very humble. I would like him to be the MP here."
Another Hulu Selangor resident, Mohd Abdullah, 79, said he has never seen Kamalanathan before but after hearing his speech, he was convinced the candidate is capable of winning.
"I have lived here for more than 30 years and I have seen many politicians come and go...and I feel good to see a fresh face, with a lot of new ideas.
"I can tell by the way he speaks that he can go far," added Mohd Abdullah.
Bernama quoted Kamalanathan's wife as describing him as "clean and hard working".
"He is brilliant, very humble and simple. He is very down to earth," she said.
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