SHAH ALAM – The choice for voters in the 15th general election (GE15) is Pakatan Harapan’s (PH) Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim for prime minister or Umno’s Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, DAP deputy chairman Gobind Singh Deo said.
“It is down to these two leaders.
“The coming polls will be an election to pick one prime minister, and we have two choices – Anwar and Zahid,” Gobind said at a Selangor PH even to introduce its candidates tonight.
He warned that if PH is not given the mandate to form the next federal government, then Zahid will in all likelihood be the person to take on Putrajaya’s hot seat.
Zahid is among Umno’s leaders who are currently embroiled in ongoing corruption cases.
“Yesterday, we have seen the list of BN candidates. It’s very clear who they are pushing to be the prime minister candidate if they win. We all know. That is why we must come out to vote this time.
“Your votes will determine who becomes the prime minister and lead the country for the next five years. If you don’t come out to support Anwar, we will see our opponent carry their prime minister candidate (Zahid),” he added.
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Gobind’s comment on the BN candidates announcement was in reference to the axeing of a number of Umno incumbents who are aligned to Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob from contesting in the coming polls, which observers say is Zahid’s attempt to position himself as the next prime minister.
Gobind’s remarks tonight come in the light of a leaked document, an “Akujanji” or oath that Umno candidates supposedly had to sign in order to be fielded in GE15.
The document requires candidates to support Zahid as the prime minister candidate, as well as any action and decision by him as Umno president and BN chairman to hold post-election talks with parties or political coalitions, in the event BN fails to win enough seats to form a government.
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Candidates must also support Zahid in deciding key cabinet posts, as well as positions in government agencies and government-linked companies.
They must also push the new government to drop and “settle” court cases involving Umno and BN leaders.
Umno leaders such as its secretary-general Datuk Seri Ahmad Maslan, and party information chief Shahril Hamdan have denied the document’s existence and called it fake.
BN Communications director Datuk Seri Shamsul Anuar Nasarah has also denied it.
Zahid yesterday denied making such demands of candidates and called it “lies”. – The Vibes, November 2, 2022
