Barisan Nasional (BN) chairman Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi has advised Perikatan Nasional (PN) election director Datuk Seri Muhammad Sanusi Md Nor to focus on managing Kedah instead of continuing his campaign activities in the Negeri Sembilan state election.
Zahid said remarks made by the Kedah Menteri Besar regarding the role and loyalty of non-Malays were inappropriate and could affect harmony in Malaysia’s multiracial society.
With only six days remaining before polling day, the UMNO president said Sanusi should allow local BN and PN leaders to handle the election campaign in Negeri Sembilan.
“We have six more days to campaign. I think he should focus on governing Kedah.
“There is no need to come to Negeri Sembilan. Let us manage this state in our own way,” he said during a press conference.
Zahid also stressed that leaders must be careful with their public statements, especially when discussing issues involving race and identity, to maintain peace among Malaysians.
He said efforts to strengthen unity among Malay Muslims should not involve comments that touch on the ethnicity, religion, culture or background of other communities.
“I believe the diversity of Malaysians from various backgrounds is something that has been determined by God,” he said.
Sanusi had earlier sparked criticism during a campaign speech after claiming that “Tanah Melayu” was the only homeland for Malays, while suggesting other ethnic groups could rely on their ancestral countries outside Malaysia.
The remarks drew responses from leaders in Pakatan Harapan, MIC and PN component party Malaysian Indian People’s Party.
MIC president SA Vigneswaran also called on BN to reconsider its cooperation with PN for the Negeri Sembilan state election.
