Chini by-election: Hamzah has no qualms helping BN candidate

PEKAN, June 27 — Bersatu secretary-general Datuk Seri Hamzah Zainudin said he has no problem with helping out the Barisan Nasional (BN) candidate from UMNO in the state by-election although he has left the party.

Hamzah, who is also the Home Minister, said that was because his principles remained the same since he joined UMNO and until he joined Bersatu.

“The agenda of my struggle is for religion, race and country. Even if I am with any party, as long as it is according to my what I fight for and my principles, then I will go out of my way to help.

“Even when I was previously with Pakatan Harapan (PH), you may not have noticed it, but even in Parliament, I never said anything (about the struggles of PH),” he told a press conference after attending a ceremony with the Chini People’s Volunteer Corps (RELA) at Dewan Semai Bakti Felda Chini Timur 3 here today, which was also attended by his deputy, Datuk Seri Dr Ismail Mohamed Said.

In the 14th General Election, Hamzah, who was then a member of UMNO, won on a BN ticket. In December 2018, he quit UMNO with several other UMNO MPs and joined Bersatu before being elected as Bersatu secretary-general in March.

Asked about claims that he met PKR president Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim recently, Hamzah said it was a personal meeting with someone he had not seen for a few years and the matters discussed were personal.

The Chini by-election on July 4 will see BN’s candidate Mohd Sharim Md Zain, 41, being challenged by two Independent candidates, namely businessman Tengku Datuk Zainul Hisham Tengku Hussin, 64, and Mohd Shukri Mohd Ramli, 49, who is blog writer.

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

— BERNAMA