MUAR, April 19 – Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin today advised Barisan Nasional (BN) leaders dropped as candidates for the 13th General Election (GE13) to keep to their pledge to abide by the decision of the leadership and help the BN to win big.
“We have decided on the candidates. What has to be done now is to close ranks and help the candidates to win,” he told reporters after a visit to the Kampung Tengah Sungai Terap polling district, here. Muhyiddin said some leaders were disappointed by their exclusion from the line-up of candidates while others had volunteered to decline nomination to allow new faces to contest.
“It is not the end of the political road for those who are not being fielded. We thank them for their sacrifice and what they have done for the people. We hope they will not stop extending their support to the party,” he said.
The BN deputy chairman said that a lack of solid support would jeopardise the party’s plans to secure victory in the election. Asked to comment on those party leaders who had threatened to contest as independent candidates, Muhyiddin said if this happened they would be automatically sacked from the party.
The BN would do its best to ensure peaceful nomination tomorrow, even if the supporters accompanying the candidates might be in large numbers, he said when asked to comment on the Election Commission’s advice for parties and individuals
not to bring too many supporters to the nomination centres. He said it was the norm for supporters to come out in force to demonstrate their support for the party.
BERNAMA
