Najib says coalition partners have nothing to fear

By The Star

KUALA LUMPUR: Barisan Nasional will not take away seats from its component parties and give them to those joining the coalition as direct members to contest in the next general election, said Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak.

Najib, who is also Barisan chairman, said it would only decide on allowing direct members to contest under its banner if component parties chose not to put up their own candidates in the allocated seats.

“Only in an extreme condition, or if a component party does not propose a candidate, then it will be open for the Barisan supreme council (to decide). That is our decision,” he told reporters after opening a global business leaders forum here yesterday.

Najib was commenting on a statement by MCA president Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek that it disagreed about giving rights to those aligned to any Barisan component party to contest under the coalition’s banner.

Najib also dismissed recent reports of a possible Cabinet reshuffle, saying they were mere rumours.

Najib said the decision to give direct membership had nothing to do with elections as Barisan was undergoing a political reform.

Asked for his assessment of whether public support for Barisan had increased, he said: “I think the by-elections are quite indicative of rising support for Barisan but we must not take it for granted.”

In PETALING JAYA, MCA vice-president Datuk Chor Chee Heung said that while the party accepted Najib’s announcement on the direct membership, the issue of determining candidates for the general election needed more discussion.

“Anyone can be a Barisan supporter or enter it independently without joining any political party. But what I want to know is whether they are qualified to be candidates representing Barisan,” he told reporters after launching World Toilet Day.