KUALA LIPIS (Jan 16): Former UMNO vice-president Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Tun Hussein has advised party members to cease all disputes among themselves and focus on defending the Cameron Highlands Parliamentary seat in the by-election, polling for which is on Jan 26.

Hishammuddin, the MP for Sembrong (Johor), reminded the party machinery not to take it easy in the by-election which entered its fifth day of campaigning today.

“UMNO and Barisan Nasional (BN) realise that we have had a lot of shortcomings prior to the last general election, and now is the time for us to improve ourselves,” he told reporters after a meeting with Armed Forces veterans at Restoran Satay Warisan.

Hishammuddin acknowledged that the BN candidate in the by-election, Ramli Mohd Nor, 61, has no experience in politics but said this factor could not be used to determine whether he could serve the constituents well.

“Let’s not find fault with someone who just wants to serve (the people). If that’s the case, then no one will want to serve our party. In the end, where will UMNO be, where will the BN be? A party will only be strong if it has sincere and honest leaders. I feel our candidate can be guided with good values,” he said.

The by-election is a four-cornered contest between Ramli, Pahang DAP deputy chairman M. Manogaran, 60, of Pakatan Harapan (PH), and two Independent candidates — Aminuddin Baki Institute former lecturer Sallehudin Ab Talib, 61, and farmer Wong Seng Yee, 40.