MEETING THE PRESS: Najib (seated second right) speaking to reporters at a press conference held after chairing the Umno and BN Supreme Council meetings at Menara Datuk Onn in Kuala Lumpur yesterday. He is joined (seated from right) by PBB president who is also Sarawak Chief Minister Pehin Sri Abdul Taib Mahmud, Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, MCA president Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek and PPP president Datuk M Kayveas. — Bernama photo
KUALA LUMPUR: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak hopes that certain quarters will not carry out their plans to create disturbance in the upcoming general election.
He stressed that the people should be allowed to freely and openly make their choice without any disturbance that could prevent them from carrying out their responsibility as voters.
“We know (about their plans), that is why they have come up with guidelines on how to create trouble on polling day, but we hope this does not happen.”
Najib said this at a press conference after chairing the Barisan Nasional (BN) and Umno Supreme Council meeting at the Putra World Trade Centre, here, yesterday.
He was commenting on claims that certain quarters were planning to create commotion and trouble on polling day in the upcoming elections, following the discovery of a secret document believed to belong to the opposition.
Najib, who is also Umno president and BN chairman, said in a country which practised parliamentary democracy, all quarters must respect the general election process and the integrity of that process.
“Our involvement in this process must be geared towards allowing the ‘rakyat’ to make their choice freely and openly, and not create any situation that could prevent them from going to the polling station or scaring them, or do anything that could deny them their right to vote,” he added.
The dirty tactics are believed to be aimed at creating public anger towards the Election Commission and blaming BN over the running of the elections.
The alleged opposition guidelines also cover plans to “attack” certain targeted parliamentary seats like Gombak, Lembah Pantai, Permatang Pauh, Setiawangsa, Wangsa Maju and Bagan Serai through the cyber media.
Election Commission chairman Tan Sri Abdul Aziz Mohd Yusof had admitted detecting some dirty plans based on a note it received which, among others, contained guidelines on how to create protests over the authenticity of the ballot papers.
He also claimed that the group also instigated voters by alleging that the indelible ink to be used in the upcoming elections was not halal (permissable in Islam). — Bernama