THE extra focus on Umno during the machinery election briefing for the 14th general election at the Barisan Nasional headquarters in Kuala Lumpur yesterday has drawn flak from BN party component leaders, The Borneo Post reported.

Sarawak Deputy Chief Minister James Masing told the news portal that many were unhappy as the briefing turned out to be more like an Umno function instead of a gathering of component party leaders.

“It was a briefing by Umno officers on the machinery for GE14… the whole programme was tilted towards Umno.

“Even the backdrop showed only Umno top guns and none of the other component party presidents, as if the rest are just wallpaper for mere decoration… so we were not too happy,” Masing had been quoted as saying.

Sarawak United Peoples’ Party president Dr Sim Kui Hian, Progressive Democratic Party secretary-general Anthony Nogeh and Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu leaders who attended the briefing declined to comment when contacted.

Masing is president of Parti Rakyat Sarawak. On preparations for GE14, Masing said Sarawak BN was prepared.

BN held a closed-door discussion in the preparation for the general election with all parties in the coalition at the Putra World Trade Centre yesterday.

BN president Najib Razak gave the opening speech. Members of media were not allowed to cover the event but continued to be there in the hopes of getting input from the leaders. – October 22, 2017.