KUALA LUMPUR – Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi has urged all parties contesting the 16th Negeri Sembilan State Election to avoid exploiting issues related to race, religion, culture and social background in their campaign efforts.
The Barisan Nasional (BN) chairman said political leaders must maintain ethics and decorum throughout the campaign period by focusing on policies and issues affecting the public rather than engaging in personal attacks.
“We must maintain ethical standards as political leaders, whether at the national or state level. We emphasise unity within the Unity Government at the federal level, and that spirit must be respected.
“At the state level, although there are many issues to address and manage, there is no need to disparage any individual or leader, whether past or present. We may have differing opinions, but there is a proper way to express those differences,” he told reporters after officiating the Salam Agrikomoditi MADANI programme at Dataran Melang here today.
Also present was Plantation and Commodities Minister Datuk Seri Dr Noraini Ahmad.
Ahmad Zahid, who is also Rural and Regional Development Minister, said election campaigns should instead revolve around matters that directly affect the people’s welfare.
He also reiterated BN’s commitment to continue supporting Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s leadership until the end of the current federal government’s term.
He stressed that BN had never intended to destabilise the MADANI Government through any “backdoor” political manoeuvre.
Meanwhile, in Johor, Umno vice-president Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin clarified that the cooperation between BN and Perikatan Nasional (PN) in the Negeri Sembilan election was only a political understanding aimed at preventing multi-cornered contests in certain constituencies.
“We are not merging. We are simply ensuring there is an understanding so that we do not clash over seats, and for that reason, other parties should not be confused about the matter,” he said at a press conference after officiating the Pasir Gudang Umno Division delegates’ meeting.
Early voting for the Negeri Sembilan state election is scheduled for July 28, with polling day set for Aug 1.
Separately, Umno information chief Datuk Seri Azalina Othman Said said racial rhetoric had no place in the election campaign, criticising remarks by PN election director Datuk Seri Muhammad Sanusi Md Nor.
Azalina, who is also Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Law and Institutional Reform), said political leaders and campaigners must exercise responsibility when addressing sensitive matters involving race, religion and the royal institution.
“Issues involving race, religion and the royal institution must not be used as tools to stir anger or fear in order to win votes,” she said in a statement.
She was referring to remarks by Sanusi, who is also Kedah Menteri Besar, that “the Chinese have China, Indians have India, Cambodians have Cambodia, while Malays only have Malaysia”.
Azalina said such statements could create the impression that Malaysians of Chinese and Indian descent had other countries as their homeland, while only Malays had a true connection to Malaysia.
“The reality is that for millions of Malaysians of Chinese and Indian descent, Malaysia is not a temporary stop. Malaysia is their homeland,” she said.
She added that the Federal Constitution protects the position of Islam, the Malay Rulers, and the rights of Malays and Bumiputera, while also safeguarding the rights and legitimate position of all Malaysian citizens regardless of ethnicity.
Azalina said the Negeri Sembilan election campaign should instead focus on bread-and-butter concerns such as the cost of living, employment opportunities, housing, education, healthcare and local development.
She said BN represented stability, experience and moderation, adding that the coalition would not allow short-term political interests to undermine Malaysia’s shared future. – July 25, 2026