MUAR - There will not be Umno members and supporters protesting against or not voting for Pakatan Harapan (PH) and Barisan Nasional (BN) candidates in Pulai and Simpang Jeram by-elections this Saturday due to the court's decision to discharge without acquitting Umno president Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi on corruption charges.
Umno deputy president Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan said that this is because the Attorney-General Chambers (AGC) had issued a complete statement, including the main reason Zahid was discharged without acquittal by the court last Monday.
"The Attorney General will not prosecute someone if it is not 80 per cent solid. That is why he wanted the case to be watertight—a case where the judge could make a decision beyond a reasonable doubt. Without doubt.
"If there was any doubt, the representation, especially the internal memo, had come out from the AGC; that caused doubt, I guess. This is what made the AGC withdraw the case," he said at a press conference after campaigning at Taman Seri Jeram, Batu 4, Bakri today.
Also present were Amanah vice president Datuk Seri Mujahid Yusof Rawa and PH-BN candidate Nazri Abdul Rahman.
Last Monday, the Kuala Lumpur High Court discharged the Deputy Prime Minister of 47 charges of corruption, breach of trust, and money laundering involving Akalbudi Foundation funds.
In regard to the by-election campaign, Mohamad shared that there are still many, especially Umno members, who doubt and do not understand why the Unity Government was established, which can cause problems if not addressed.
"These Umno folks are a bit difficult because they have not been able to get along with DAP for a long time, among other things. DAP folks also didn't want to be with Umno, but we established the Unity Government not because we wanted to. The circumstances at the time forced us to make strategic decisions," he stressed.
He pointed out that they need to understand that two days after the 15th General Election, there was still no government to manage the country.
"So at that point, it was our main priority to manage the country and not some sentiment. We followed His Majesty's order, and we solved the problem," he explained.
Meanwhile, he said that the highest turnout this Saturday is expected to be 80 per cent, but 70 per cent will do.
"The Johor government already existed. Win or lose, it is still the same government. We must be smart by choosing representatives who will be with the government so that our voice and our suggestions can be carried forward. That is what the voters in Pulai and Simpang Jeram need to do.