Najib shrugs off calls to face Anwar in Kajang

Najib shrugs off calls to face Anwar in Kajang

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak on Thursday dismissed calls urging him to face Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim in the impending Kajang by-election, saying he is uninterested in being dragged into PKR’s internal problems.

“This is not my problem, this is their problem, why deflect this to me when they were the ones who precipitated this by-election,” he said at the Prime Minister’s Office here.

On Wednesday, PKR deputy president and Selangor state chief Azmin Ali had reportedly challenged Najib to fight against Anwar instead of fielding MCA or any other Barisan Nasional’s component party candidates.

Najib also said that the people’s response to the by-election was more negative than positive.

“This will be a burden to the people. Many are unhappy with this as they have to go through another by-election,” he said.

The Kajang state seat fell vacant following the resignation of its PKR assemblyman Lee Chin Cheh to pave the way for Anwar to contest the seat.

The move is being seen as a way to install the opposition leader as the mentri besar, replacing Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim, to resolve the internal crisis in Selangor PKR.

When asked if there was a possibility that Barisan would stay out of the forced by-election, Najib said it was a matter for Barisan’s Supreme Council to discuss and decide.

“And any decision on the candidate, will only be discussed in the SupremeCouncil meeting after the Chinese New Year,” he said.

Earlier, Najib met with a number of Malay Muslim NGO’s to discuss matters related to current national issues such as the ‘Allah’ controversy and price hikes.