MCA, MIC boycott in KKB good for us, says Muhyiddin

KUALA KUBU BARU: It will be all the better for Perikatan Nasional if parties in the unity government coalition are unhappy with the choice of their candidate in the coming by-election here, says Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin.

The Perikatan chairman and Bersatu president said he would not tell the MCA and MIC what to do and that “it is not for me to interfere”.

“If they boycott the unity government candidate, then it is better for them to support us. If they stay out (of the campaigning), it will be better for us,” he said at Bersatu’s Hari Raya Open House held at Fraser Valley here.

Muhyiddin was asked to comment on the stand by MCA and MIC that they would not campaign in the by-election if the unity government candidate was not from Barisan Nasional.

Saying the by-election would act as a referendum on all the pledges made by the Federal Government, he said voters have become wiser amid the economic difficulties.

He said with the constituency having 46% Malays voters, 30% Chinese, 18% Indians and 5% Orang Asli and others, “the people’s sentiment will override the issue of race”.

Muhyiddin said vast projects being announced by the government in the constituency meant nothing “when the people are struggling to put food on the table”.

“Why wait until now to announce these allocations? I expect more money to pour in over the next few days. They can create allocations for community halls and roads, but what is the point when people are having it so difficult?” he asked.

On Gerakan announcing that it wanted to re-contest the seat, Muhyiddin confirmed that the party was interested and said the Perikatan candidate would be announced on Thursday ahead of nomination day.

On another matter, Muhyiddin said Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim was feigning ignorance on the purported “addendum order” for former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s house arrest.

“When asked about the addendum, Anwar said that he does not know. How can he not know when he is the Prime Minister?

“His deputy Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi has confirmed it but the Prime Minister does not know,” he said, claiming that the cracks in the Madani government were showing.

On the issue concerning the six Bersatu MPs and one assemblyman who went rogue, Muhyiddin said the matter has already been decided on and the party would take the necessary steps to see to its implementation.

On March 2, the party passed a motion to amend Article 10 of the Bersatu constitution to enable the cessation of rogue elected representatives.