UMNO president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi has slammed the party’s political rivals for slandering and spreading fake news as campaign material.

Referring to the latest letter that is making rounds on social media, alleging that incumbent Lenggeng lawmaker Shamsul Anuar Nasarah was supporting him to be the next prime minister, the Barisan Nasional (BN) chairman claimed that lying and deceiving people was in the rivals’ “DNA”. 

“BN is calling the people to restore the country in the 15th general election (but) BN’s opponents are spreading slander and deception as “campaign” material,” Zahid said on Facebook today. 

“BN is trying to tell the truth, (but) they are persistent in spreading fake letters supposedly signed by Umno candidates. 

“They think that BN are like them, where after winning the 2018 election and becoming government, they dropped court cases involving their leaders.

“Then they oppress the BN leaders who loyally defend the party,” he added. 

The coalition chairman did not particularly mention any parties by name. 

Zahid’s denial comes after a purported Umno letter of pledge signed by the party’s lawmakers was shared on social media. 

The letter appeared to show some lawmakers supporting Zahid to become the next prime minister after the election.

Besides Shamsul Anuar, BN’s Sungai Buloh candidate Khairy Jamaluddin was the other lawmaker alleged to have signed such a letter. 

Khairy had since come to deny signing such a letter and backed caretaker prime minister Ismail Sabir Yaakob to continue serving after the polls, saying it was BN’s position as announced by Zahid. 

Zahid claimed that his rivals are “overthinking” and worried that what they did during their regime might return to haunt them. 

The former deputy prime minister said that such politics of cheating and slandering should be stopped, claiming that people are no longer easily deceived by such tactics. 

He added that the latest slander against BN is a clear and strong proof why the people need to reject the coalition’s opponents and ensure they do not win the general election to become the government again. – November 3, 2022.