SHAH ALAM: Umno vice-president Datuk Seri Shafie Apdal said the distribution of election seats between Barisan Nasional (BN) component parties should not be based on the race of the majority of voters.
He said it was BN’s priority to field candidates who had the support of all sectors of the community and who could ensure a big win for BN in the general election.
“In BN, we believe in fielding candidates who can win. It would not be a healthy move if we put a candidate who can only get the votes or support from only a certain community,” he said at a press conference held after launching the ‘Itsy Bitsy’, the latest attraction at the i-City, here yesterday.
Mohd Shafie was commenting on the call by Umno Supreme Council member Dr Mohd Puad Zarkashi, who said all Umno state bodies should make a resolution that parliamentary or state assembly seats with Malay majority voters be contested by the party in the next general election.
Puad was reported as saying the move could be decided at the Umno Convention, and that the MCA and Gerakan contested only in Chinese majority areas.
Mohd Shafie who is also the Rural and Regional Development Minister said if a candidate depended only on the majority vote of one race, it would appear as if he was rejecting the support of other races.
He added that the ministry would hold a meeting with the management of i-City to enable rural folks to promote their tourism products at the centre. — Bernama