Najib holds closed-door meeting with Kedah UMNO/BN leadership

PrIme Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak held a closed-door meeting with the Kedah UMNO Liaison Committee and state Barisan Nasional leadership at a leading hotel here tonight.

The one-hour meeting which started at 9pm was also attended by Kedah Menteri Besar and state BN chairman Datuk Seri Ahmad Bashah Md Hanipah.

Also present were BN state assemblymen, heads of UMNO divisions on the state and leaders of Kedah BN components and their wings.

However, no statement was issued to the press on the meeting.

Earlier, Najib, who is also BN chairman, had attended a dinner with 200 state UMNO and BN leaders at the same hotel.

The meeting was the Najib's last programme during his one-day visit to Kedah today before heading back to Putrajaya.

Earlier today, Najib had breakfast with the villagers of Kampung Seberang Kota, Kuala Kedah and visited the fishermen's market in the village which is among the famous fish landing jetties in the state.

He then held a closed-door meeting with the state leadership at Wisma Darul Aman and attended a civil servants assembly at the Sultan Abdul Halim Stadium in Suka Menanti before visiting a water treatment plant in Pokok Sena.

The prime minister also dropped by the home of a rubber tapper Mansor Salleh, 60, in Kampung Belukar, Pokok Sena before attending the ‘Leaders with the People’ programme and handing over of the monsoon season aid to smallholders and rubber tappers in Dataran Lembaga Kemajuan Wilayah Kedah (Keda).

Meanwhile, Deputy Finance Minister and Jerlun MP Datuk Othman Aziz, who attended the meeting, told reporters that Najib wanted the Kedah UMNO/BN leadership to defend their existing 10 parliamentary seats and wrest several more in the 14th General Election, which has to be called at the latest by August next year.

“Najib also wanted the BN to secure a two-thirds majority in Kedah,” he said, adding that Najib told the leaders not to be split and put the coalition’s interests ahead of their own to ensure a resounding victory in GE14.

State UMNO Youth head Datuk Shaiful Hazizy Zainol Abidin said the prime minister also urged the state UMNO/BN leadership not to make mistakes during this crucial period (with the GE around the corner).

"We are confident of a big victory in Kedah so long as the coalition is strong and not beset by conflicts,” he said.

He added that Najib said that candidates for GE14 must be popular with the grassroots and that it did not suffice if they were only popular at the federal level.

-- BERNAMA