"I have never bought delegates" - Najib

Prime Minister and UMNO president Datuk Seri Najib Razak said today he has never "bought" party division chiefs or delegates for their support.

He said he only helped the party through the divisional chiefs by having specific programmes for the people.

"Some division chiefs are just former PTD (Administrative and Diplomatic Service) officers. How much do they have in assets? If they have to carry out these programmes, it will be detrimental for them.

"So, the assistance I offer is for the party, not to buy the division chiefs," he said when opening the Pekan UMNO Division delegates meeting at the Sultan Haji Ahmad Shah Convention Hall here.

Also present at the event were Najib's wife, Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor, Pahang Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Adnan Yaakob and Pekan UMNO Division deputy chief Datuk Abu Bakar Harun.

The Pekan UMNO division delegates meeting today is the last of the 191 divisional delegates meetings which began on July 27.

Najib, who is also Pekan UMNO Division chief, said: "All my life, I have contested many posts but I have never bought delegates. I have never done so. If there are people who accuse me of having done that, then that amounts to slander."

He said his every action was aimed at strengthening the party so that it could move forward.

He also said that it was wrong to equate his style of leadership with that of past leaders because each person had his own style and approach to leading a party.

Najib reminded the delegates of the new political challenges that were influenced by the development of the social media.