TAPAH: Each Barisan Nasional component party and Friends of Barisan, including the Pakatan Harapan coalition, must actively engage with voters in the Ayer Kuning by-election, says Datuk Seri Saarani Mohamad.
"Today I met with party leaders from Friends of Barisan who we know have great influence among their own members and supporters, apart from MCA and MIC, and tomorrow evening we will meet with leaders from Pakatan components," the Perak Barisan chairman told reporters after the Tapah Barisan Committee Meeting today (March 3).
He emphasized that all parties must actively engage with voters, persuade them, and ensure they participate in voting.
"Based on our meeting just now, we have agreed that to win the by-election, each party must go down to the ground and reach out to their respective voters.
"Barisan with its supporters, MCA with its supporters, and MIC with its supporters. If all parties are able to attract the support of their supporters, then I am quite confident that Barisan will win big," he said.
The meeting was held at the Barisan Operations Room, Tapah Umno Building, and was also attended by Umno Secretary-General Datuk Dr Asyraf Wajdi Dusuki.
Saarani added that the collaboration between Barisan and Pakatan under the Unity Government is progressing smoothly, and the leadership cooperation is very strong.
"If there are any differences of opinion and views, that is normal, and we will minimize all those mistakes because the focus is only on winning our candidate," he said.
The by-election will be held following the passing of first-term assemblyman Ishsam Shahruddin, 58, who collapsed while participating in a friendly football championship in George Town and died at the Penang Hospital on Feb 22.
In the 2022 General Election, Ishsam polled 9,088 votes and won by a 2,213 majority, defeating Amanah's Mohd Nazri Hashim, Muhammad Noor Farid of PAS, KS Bawani from PSM, and Pejuang's Maziah Salim.
