KJ urges sidelined colleagues to remain loyal to BN

BN's Sungai Buloh candidate Khairy Jamaluddin has urged his coalition colleagues who were sidelined from candidacy to remain loyal to the coalition.

He said he, too, is facing a challenge as he is being fielded in a Pakatan Harapan stronghold, but urged all to focus on service to the people.

“To my friends who were not fielded, do remain with BN. We have all faced ups and downs in politics.

“Some have been dropped, and like me, I have been sent to an area like Sungai Buloh.

“But the important thing is we continue with our service (to the people),” Khairy (above, centre) said when met by reporters in Sungai Buloh today.

He was asked to comment on BN stalwarts who are opting to contest under Perikatan Nasional (PN) after they were removed from BN's candidate list.

Earlier, incumbent Arau MP Shahidan Kassim and incumbent Maran MP Ismail Abdul Muttalib were announced as PN candidates.

Ismail had held the Maran seat for BN for four terms, while Shahidan first won the Arau seat in 1986. He returned to it in 2013, after serving as Perlis MB from 1995 to 2008.

Angry that he was dropped, Shahidan had earlier challenged Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi to sack him.

“Does he think it’s his grandfather’s party?” he asked. 

PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang last night hinted that more BN leaders are expected to contest on PN’s ticket.

Among those in the list of leaders dropped from BN’s candidacy list are BN Selangor chief Noh Omar, who held the Tanjong Karang seat for six terms, and incumbent Ketereh MP Annuar Musa. Both are ministers in the Ismail Sabri Yaakob government.

Khairy was moved to Sungai Buloh to make way for BN Negeri Sembilan chief Mohamad Hasan to contest in Rembau - a seat Khairy has won three times running since 2008.

Sungai Buloh has been held by PKR for three terms, while BN lost in all polling districts in the previous general election.

Separately, Khairy thanked PKR deputy president Rafizi Ramli for being concerned about the former’s career.

He said this when asked to comment on Rafizi’s assertion that Khairy is likely to be sidelined in BN, even if he won the Sungai Buloh seat.