BN Uses People-friendly Approach In By-election – Zambry

(Bernama) — The Barisan Nasional (BN) is using a people-friendly approach in its campaign in the Bukit Gantang parliamentary by-election even though this has less appeal than the opposition campaign of slander and personal attacks, Perak Menteri Besar Datuk Dr Zambry Abdul Kadir said today.

He said the BN would not resort to quarrels or disorder and that it was the opposition which played up the emotions of the people.

"The voters in Bukit Gantang should not fall prey to the claim of the opposition that the by-election is a referendum. They claim that the referendum is a penalty for the BN government if they (the opposition) win the by-election," he told reporters after a meet-the-people session in Taman Kaya, here.

He said the voters must consider carefully and elect the candidate who could bring change and not merely talk.

He also said that the BN had fulfilled the request of the electorate in Bukit Gantang by fielding a local person as the candidate. Ismail Saffian, 49, hails from Kampung Kubu, Bukit Gantang.

"There is no excuse this time for the voters not to give their vote to Ismail. I am most confident that Ismail has the capability to implement the development agenda for the people and the state," he said.

At the function, Dr Zambry accepted about 150 fresh applications from the local people to join Umno.

Ismail is involved in a three-cornered contest in the by-election, polling for which is on April 7. He is facing Datuk Seri Mohammad Nizar Jamaluddin, 52, of PAS and independent candidate Kamarul Ramizu Idris, 42.

The by-election is being held following the death of the MP, Roslan Shaharum of PAS, of a heart attack on Feb 9.

In the last general election, on March 8 last year, Roslan won the seat with a majority of 1,566 votes by beating Datuk Seri Abdul Azim Mohd Zabidi of the BN and independent candidate M. Mohganan.