KUALA KRAI, 2 June 2009: The Barisan Nasional (BN) will not use Friday sermons as a campaign strategy to win people’s confidence in the coalition, Umno information chief Ahmad Maslan said today.
“The BN will conduct its campaign by meeting the people face-to-face either at their houses, [in] coffee shops or by the roadside to deliver the correct message,” he said.
He said Umno and the BN had no plans to use houses of worship in its campaign against other political parties.
Commenting on remarks by Kelantan Menteri Besar Datuk Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat, who is also PAS general adviser, that his party would continue to use mosques in its campaign, Ahmad said what PAS was doing was beyond the ordinary and could be considered in conflict with the policy and concept of sermons.
Ahmad, who is deputy minister in the prime minister’s department, rejected the method used by PAS, saying that Friday sermons were a platform to deliver the reminder from Allah for Muslims.
He also did not dismiss the possibility of PAS using religious issues in the Manik Urai by-election. “We are ready for it,” he said.
The Manik Urai seat fell vacant following the death of assemblyperson Ismail Yaacob on 22 May. — Bernama
