Putrajaya, Oct 22- Umno vice-president Datuk Seri Mohd Shafie Apdal is condifent there will no elements of sabotage in the upcoming Sungai Limau state seat by-election in Kedah.
He said this confidence was based on the coordination work and discussions between the leaders in the Jerai Umno division before the divisional election took place.
“Both groups had given the assurance that they would give their best cooperation possible regardless who would be leading the division after the party elections,” he said after chairing the coordination meeting for the Sungai Limau by-election, here, today.
Last Saturday, Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Seri Jamil Khir Baharom was elected as Jerai Umno division chairman, defeating the incumbent, Datuk Mohd Shuhaimi Abdullah.
Mohd Shafie, who is Rural and Regional Development Minister, said Barisan Nasional (BN) was confident of wresting the Sungai Limau seat from PAS.
“There has been a trend of reduced majority votes for PAS. It appears that the constituents want change, their welfare taken care of and also development.”
Shafie said his ministry would continue with programmes in line with the residents’ needs like repair of houses and roads, which needed to be expedited.
The nomination of candidates has been set for this Wednesday and polling for Nov 4.
At another event in KUALA LUMPUR, Shafie said his win in the contest for one of the three Umno vice-president posts would only motivate him to work harder for the party, people and country.
Shafie garnered 177 votes in the contest during the party elections on Saturday, the second highest after Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi who secured 188 votes, while Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein obtained 101 votes.
He said much more also needed to be done to increase Bumiputera economic participation, especially those in the rural areas, with more suitable approaches to be found and implemented. Shafie was speakimg to reporters after opening the Executive Committee.
Meeting of the Afro-Asian Rural Development Organisation (AARDO) today.
-Bernama
