Letter of pledge backing Zahid as PM fake - Shamsul Anuar

IPOH: Barisan Nasional (BN) Communications director Datuk Seri Dr Shamsul Anuar Nasarah said the letter of pledge allegedly signed by him, which has gone viral, backing UMNO president Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi as Prime Minister is fake.

He said no such letter of undertaking had been made.

"This is clearly a malicious effort by irresponsible parties and it is obviously a plan to discredit UMNO and BN during this GE15 (15th general election) period," he wrote on his Facebook page yesterday.

The letter of pledge, among others, stated that Shamsul Anuar promised to back Ahmad Zahid as Prime Minister as well as urging the government that will be formed by any party cooperating with UMNO and BN to drop court charges involving top party leaders.

Meanwhile, in JOHOR, UMNO secretary-general Datuk Seri Ahmad Maslan said the only pledge that exists is the one containing the pledge of loyalty to the party which aimed at strengthening UMNO and preventing any possibility of the winning BN candidates from switching parties.

He said the pledge is a normal practice in every election and needs to be signed by every candidate.

"So, I just want to make it clear that all candidates who contested in the Sabah, Melaka and Johor state elections had also signed the pledge and they sign it for this general election too. It's not a problem because it's just meant to strengthen the party.

"There's no such words (about backing Ahmad Zahid as PM and dropping court cases involving party leaders) in the pledge. What's in there is just a pledge of loyalty to the party," he told reporters after attending the launch of Johor BN election machinery at Educity Indoor Stadium in Iskandar Puteri, last night.

-- BERNAMA