PEKAN (June 27): A victory for Barisan Nasional (BN) in the Chini by-election will be a continuous success of the Muafakat Nasional alliance and a winning start for the Perikatan Nasional (PN) government.

BN chairman Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said the candidate named by BN for the Chini by-election, Mohd Sharim Md Zain, is also the first candidate to represent PN.

“Before this, we have won [five by-elections] in style with Muafakat Nasional on the unity spirit of the Muslim community (ummah).

“But this time, we want to see the spirit of PN, despite being not officially registered, translated into a continuous success from the previous by-elections,” he said.

He was speaking to reporters after a lunch with residents of Kampung Bukit Udang near here today.

Earlier, Ahmad Zahid and Pahang Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Wan Rosdy Wan Ismail attended a goodwill programme with the Orang Asli community in Tasik Mentiga near here.

Ahmad Zahid, who is also the Umno president, said Mohd Sharim is seen as capable of bringing the voices of Felda settlers and their children if given the mandate.

“I am confident the Felda generation of Chini will benefit if they give their trust to Mohd Sharim in the July 4 Chini by-election polling,” he said.

Umno and BN have won five of the 10 by-elections held after the 14th general election (GE14).    

In the Chini by-election, BN’s candidate, Mohd Sharim, 41, is being challenged by two independent candidates, namely businessman Tengku Datuk Zainul Hisham Tengku Hussin, 64, and Mohd Shukri Mohd Ramli, 49, a blog writer. 

The by-election is being held following the death of its incumbent Datuk Seri Abu Bakar Harun, 60, on May 7 in the Kuala Lumpur Hospital of a heart attack. 

The Chini constituency is one of the four state seats under the Pekan parliamentary constituency and it is the first by-election held after the movement control order (MCO) came into force on March 18.

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