REMBAU (April 20): Barisan Nasional (BN) component parties are required to help the candidate representing the unity government in the Kuala Kubu Baharu state by-election, said BN deputy chairman Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan.

He said this is because BN respects the honoured system that the incumbent party will be given priority to field the candidate in a by-election.

"We don't know who they want to field, we don't know who the candidate is because we have only met once and DAP hasn't decided on the candidate.

"We should help because people have helped us, so we should help. There is no question of not wanting to help or not, that's not proper. We are not joining forces, we are helping as partners in the unity government," he told reporters at the Aidilfitri Open House, which was also attended by MCA president Datuk Seri Dr Wee Ka Siong here on Saturday.

He said this while commenting on the actions of MCA and MIC, which announced that they will not campaign in the Kuala Kubu Baharu by-election if the government candidate is not from BN.

Mohamad, who is also the Umno deputy president, said all parties in the unity government also helped BN candidates in the previous Pelangai by-election.

"Now it is DAP's turn as the incumbent, our understanding is that when there is a death, that party is given priority (for candidate). This is not a general election where we can exchange seats.

"For the general election, we have not discussed whether we want to be together or to go alone, that will be up to you at that time. We will make our own assessment, it is not fair for us to make a decision for the 16th GE. We don't know yet because in politics one day is long, anything can happen," he said.

Earlier, Wee, when met, said MCA's intention of not helping the campaign in the by-election if the candidate is not from BN had been conveyed to Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim and Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Zahid Hamidi as BN chairman.

He said the proposal had been agreed to by the party before the MCA Political Development Committee meeting which took place at the MCA headquarters on Friday.

The Kuala Kubu Baharu state by-election is being held following the death of its incumbent, Lee Kee Hiong, 58, on March 21 due to cancer.

The Election Commission has set the polling for the Kuala Kubu Baharu state by-election on May 11 with April 27 as the candidate nomination day.

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