Ahmad Zahid: I hope Nizar will repent

Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi wants former Perak menteri besar Datuk Seri Mohammad Nizar Jamaluddin to repent for using the name of 'Allah' in making various allegations against the Barisan Nasional (BN) government.

Ahmad Zahid, who is UMNO vice-president but carrying out the duties of deputy president following the suspension of Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin from the post, said Mohammad Nizar should change and reflect upon himself.

"I'm not surprised by the words from his mouth as he apparently has not changed and has not repented over what he has gone through before," said the Deputy Prime Minister.

He said this when asked to comment on Mohammad Nizar's statement cited on social media that said, "God wants the people of Kuala Kangsar to 'teach' (to defeat) BN through the Kuala Kangsar by-election".

"I hope that his repentance receives Allah's mercy," said Ahmad Zahid referring to the statement by the deputy chairman of Parti Amanah Negara (Amanah) Perak, Mohammad Nizar, who made the statement during a ceramah in Kampung Sayong Lembah here, yesterday.

Speaking at the ceramah session, Mohammad Nizar said he wondered why from the 222 parliamentary seats in the country, the by-elections are being held in Sungai Besar and Kuala Kangsar and that it must be a divine intervention.

"When I thought about it deeply, it came to my realisation that this is where I was given the mandate to be the Perak Menteri Besar from March 2008 to February 2009.

"This is where those two came and seized the Pakatan Rakyat government which I had led. Who were the two? None other than (Prime Minister) Najib (Abdul Razak) and (Datuk Seri Ahmad) Zahid (Hamidi)," Nizar was quoted as saying in a report on social media.

Ahmad Zahid, who is also the member of Parliament (MP) for Bagan Datoh, said he would not react to every word said by Mohammad Nizar.

The Kuala Kangsar parliamentary by-election is a four-cornered fight between BN, PAS, Amanah and an independent candidate. Polling is on June 18.

According to the electoral roll until May 7 a total of 32,949 people are eligible to vote in the by-election being held following the death of its MP Wan Mohammad Khair-il Anuar Wan Ahmad in a helicopter crash in Sebuyau, Sarawak, on May 5.