UMNO does not need to spend lavishly to canvas support for Barisan Nasional in the Sungai Kandis by-election, said former president Najib Razak.

The former prime minister who spent more than two hours in Kampung Sungai Kandis campaigning for BN candidate Lokman Adam, said Umno only needed to use the people-friendly approach to convince voters.

“We don’t need a lot of money for our campaign, we use the least amount of money.

“Instead of having big gatherings, our  campaign is low-profile and people-friendly that touches people’s hearts ” he said after a walkabout at Sungai Kandis polling district centre. 

He was asked about Umno’s by-election campaign after many of its party’s accounts were frozen by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC).

Umno has engaged a legal firm to recover more than RM116 million seized in police raids linked to the 1Malaysia Development Bhd probe.

Najib said it was important for Barisan Nasional to get voters to understand the need for balance in the Selangor state assembly.

” We cannot have one side that has an overwhelming majority because what we want is a democracy that reflects the opinion of the Selangor people.”

“Lokman is someone I know, he is an outstanding individual, wiling to speak his mind and not afraid to say what is right and what is wrong. That’s exactly the kind of representative we need.”

Najib declined to predict whether his side would be able to wrest the state seat from PKR, but said the first visit to the village showed there was positive response to BN.

“From what I see it’s a very warm reception. But this is a large area and there are various people from different backgrounds. This is just the first visit so we will see how it goes, but so far so good.”

Najib and Lokman visited about 10 houses in Kampung Sungai Kandis. 

His daughter Nooryana Najwa and her husband Daniyar Nazarbayev, a nephew of the president of Kazakhstan, were also present.

On MCA and MIC’s absence in the campaign, Najib said the two BN component parties were focusing on internal matters. 

“Like MIC, MCA has changed leadership, it has a new president. But the election process is still ongoing.” – July 25, 2018.