KUALA LUMPUR: The people of different races in Malaysia cannot be separated from each other, says Umno vice-president Datuk Seri Johari Abdul Ghani.

"In Malaysia, we can't separate the people, the Malays, Chinese, Indians, how can you separate them?," he told reporters after Friday prayers in Kampung Datuk Keramat yesterday.

"We are Malaysians, to me, we should work together," he said when asked on the Umno Veteran's Club's call for DAP leaders to stay away from campaigning in the Nenggiri by-election in Kelantan.

The club's secretary Datuk Mustapha Yaakub previously said that while DAP wants to help Umno's candidate secure votes from the Orang Asli, it would not help as the community there are "Muslim Bumiputeras who speak Malay"

He also warned that DAP's presence could confuse voters and this could be exploited by Perikatan Nasional.

Mustapha is not the only Umno personality to make such a call.

Umno's Nenggiri by-election director Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah also urged DAP leaders to keep their distance from the polls citing the constituency's "100 per cent Malay" demography.

Barisan Nasional chairman Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi has refuted a poison pen letter claiming the coalition wanted leaders from certain parties to stay away from the Nenggiri campaign, saying it was a "political tactic" aimed at creating divisions within the unity coalition.

The Nenggiri by-election will be held on Aug 17.

It was triggered by the vacating of the state seat previously held by Bersatu's Azizi Abu Naim following his declaration of support for Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.

Kelantan Umno Youth chief Azmawi Fikri Abdul Ghani will contest the seat for BN.

https://www.nst.com.my/news/nation/2024/07/1082351/no-separating-different-races-malaysia-says-jo-ghani