GUA MUSANG, Aug 8 (Bernama) – The Barisan Nasional (BN) is focusing on door-to-door campaigning instead of grand-scale ‘ceramah’ (talk) in the Nenggiri state by-election, said UMNO Supreme Council member Datuk Seri Ahmad Maslan.
He said that besides meeting the voters in that way, party leaders and the BN candidate, Mohd Azmawi Fikri Abdul Ghani, were also reaching out through ‘ceramah’ for small groups.
"I myself and some party leaders have participated in group ceramah and we don't want to make it difficult for people to come to these ceramah. The reason is because many of the people who came (to ceramah) were outsiders," he said when visiting the construction site of Sekolah Kebangsaan (SK) Taman Agropolitan, Rantau Manis, here today.
He said this when asked if BN would hold ceramah involving key BN leaders like the Perikatan Nasional (PN) and PAS for the by-election campaign.
However, Ahmad, who is also Deputy Works Minister, said several key leaders including BN chairman Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi and Gua Musang UMNO Chief and BN election director for the Nenggiri by-election Tan Sri Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah will participate in the campaign soon.
Meanwhile, Ahmad said the BN manifesto for the by-election has not yet been finalised and will be announced at an appropriate time.
"I have spoken to the candidate about the manifesto and he understands. We are waiting for the right time because if it is too early then the other side (PAS) will copy everything we want to do," he said jokingly.
The by-election was called following a casual vacancy announced by Kelantan State Assembly Speaker Datuk Mohd Amar Nik Abdullah on June 19, after the former incumbent Mohd Azizi Abu Naim ceased to be a member of Bersatu on June 13.
The Election Commission (EC) has set polling day on Aug 17, while early voting on Aug 13 will not be held as all 14 voters involved have opted to vote by post due to their duties during the campaign period.
The Nenggiri by-election sees a straight fight between Mohd Azmawi Fikri, who is representing the Unity Government, and Mohd Rizwadi Ismail, from Perikatan Nasional (PN-Bersatu), who is contesting using the PAS logo.
-- BERNAMA
