SHAH ALAM: Former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak said yesterday he contacted PKR president Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim on the night of the 14th general election on May 9 but it was not to “buy over” Pakatan Harapan (PH) elected representatives.
Anwar, who was serving a jail sentence at the Sungai Buloh Prison, was at a hospital in Cheras that night.
Najib said he had been in contact with Anwar while the latter was in prison.
“I contacted Anwar (on the night of May 9) to ask how he was faring,” he said in an interview with Karangkraf editorial advisor Datuk Abd Jalil Ali that was broadcast live on the Sinar Harian Facebook account.
Abd Jalil had asked Najib whether it is true that he contacted Anwar at the hospital in Cheras on the night of May 9 when the election results were announced.
Najib said he had no plan to “buy over” PH elected representatives following the defeat of the Barisan Nasional (BN) in the 14th general election.
He said several senior BN leaders including Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, the then Umno deputy president who is now the president, had called on him at his home on the night of May 9 but they did not discuss any move to entice PH MPs.
“We did not discuss any move to ‘steal’ or ‘buy’ PH elected representatives to enable them to cross over (to BN),” he said.
Najib said Umno has to be bold to be a constructive opposition in Parliament and continue to champion the interests of the people, especially the young.
He said the principal partner of BN should be open to accepting criticism from the political opposition when the coalition is no longer the ruling party.
“Umno has to continue to be the voice of the people and be a constructive and effective opposition,” he said. — Bernama