Top women leaders from BN component parties posing in front of the BN banner that only shows top Umno leaders at the briefing.
KUCHING: The briefing for Barisan Nasional (BN) leaders at the coalition’s headquarters in Kuala Lumpur yesterday has irked several component parties.
There were complaints that it turned out to be more of an Umno function instead of a gathering of leaders of component parties
Deputy Chief Minister Tan Sri Datuk Amar James Masing said the other component parties were unhappy with the way the briefing at BN headquarters was held.
He said the whole programme was tilted towards Umno and other BN component parties felt they were sidelined.
“It was a briefing by Umno officers on machinery for the 14th general election (GE14)..the whole programme was tilted towards Umno.
“Even the backdrop showed only Umno top guns and none of other component (BN) parties presidents as if the rest are just wall papers for mere decoration…so we were not too happy,” Masing said yesterday in his Whatsapp statement.
Masing, who is president of Parti Rakyat Sarawak (PRS) pointed out that Umno should not dominate a BN gathering to the extent that other BN component parties felt they were there just to make up the numbers.
However, Masing said that the GE14 will not be too much of a problem for Sarawak BN as the state is well prepared for it.
“For Sarawak, no problem ..maybe for Peninsular Malaysia, they have to be more prepared,” Masing said
Meanwhile SUPP president Datuk Dr Sim Kui Hian and Progressive Democratic Party (PDP) Secretary General Datuk Anthony Nogeh who were also at the briefing declined to comment when contacted aside from saying the briefing was just to prepare the BN election machinery for GE14.
Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu (PBB) leaders when contacted also declined to comment on the briefing.