KUALA TERENGGANU, 8 Jan 2009: Datuk Wan Ahmad Farid Wan Salleh’s willingness to risk losing his position in the government shows that the Barisan Nasional (BN) candidate is serious in serving the people in the Kuala Terengganu parliamentary constituency.
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi said although Wan Ahmad Farid had been given the responsibility to serve the people through his appointment as a senator and deputy home minister, he insisted on serving through the mandate given by the people.
“The BN candidate has taken a big risk because if he doesn’t win, he will lose his position in the senate as well as his deputy minister’s post besides being unable to get back his post as (Abdullah’s) political secretary.
“I’ve told him this right from the start when I heard talks that Wan Farid is Umno’s choice as the candidate for the Kuala Terengganu by-election.
“When I told him this, he quickly replied that he was prepared to contest to become the member of parliament (MP) for Kuala Terengganu,” he told reporters here today.
Earlier, Abdullah held a meeting with the BN machinery for the Kuala Terengganu parliamentary by-election at the Dewan Tunku Abdul Rahman, here today.
At a press conference after the meeting, Abdullah said he was convinced the Chinese voters in the Kuala Terengganu parliamentary constituency would support the BN in the by-election.
The BN chair and Umno president said, however, that the BN party machinery should continue to provide explanation on various issues to the non-Malay voters.
“As far as I know, the support is there but we have to provide explanation to them, give answers to clear their doubts. We will leave this to the party machinery undertaking the campaign,” he said. — Bernama
