Rafidah to Umno, forget party election, focus on by-elections

(The Malaysian Insider) – Wanita Umno head Tan Sri Rafidah Aziz wants members of the movement to forget temporarily the campaign for the party election in March and instead concentrate on the campaign for the by-elections in Bukit Gantang in Perak and Bukit Selambau in Kedah.

“To me, they (the by-elections) are priority, and I’ve switched off my mind on the contest for party post and I’m focusing  on the contests for the two by-elections,” she told reporters after chairing the Wanita Umno exco meeting which lasted about two hours, here today.

She said that the campaign for the party election should not be “too extreme” to the extent that members were “not talking to their rivals”.

Rafidah, who is being challenged by Datuk Seri Shahrizat Abdul Jalil for the post of Wanita Umno head in the March party election, said she was not concerned about the challenge because the election was being held every three years.

What was of greater concern to her was the political developments in the country, she said.

“I am concerned about the BN (Barisan Nasional), concerned about Umno, we seem to be losing ground everywhere.

“It is about how to win back the grassroots support and how to convince young people like you that we are the one, we, Barisan Nasional, that will eventually be responsible for the future of this country,” she told the reporters.

She also said that it was not fair to link a particular leader with certain candidates in the election.

Rafidah said the meeting today was called specifically to discuss preparations for the two by-elections.

She also commented on the political crisis in Perak which was getting worse.

She said Wanita Umno decided to condemn the actions of the opposition leaders headed by former Perak menteri besar Datuk Seri Mohammad Nizar Jamaluddin “who was being disrespectful to the Sultan of Perak and breached the state constitution”.