KUALA LUMPUR, June 19 — Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak yesterday expresses his thanks to the people for putting their faith in the Barisan Nasional (BN) ‎again as reflected in the result of the Kuala Kangsar and Sungai Besar parliamentary by-elections.

“As a mid-term government being targeted by unprecedented politically motivated slander, we are especially humbled that we ‎received such landslide results,” he said in a statement here yesterday.

BN won by a big majority in Kuala Kangsar with 6,969 votes compared to 1,082 in the 2013 general election and 9,191 in Sungai Besar compared to 399 in 2013.‎

Najib said even though former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad had turned the by-elections into a referendum on his leadership, the people had shown their confidence for and trust in BN.

“They rejected Tun Mahathir’s lies, they rejected his unworkable coalition of former enemies and they rejected the incoherent opposition partly because of their alignment with Tun Mahathir,” he said.

Najib also thanked all the BN machinery that was well led by Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi‎.

“BN succeeded because we worked as a team‎. ‎We prevailed, and, if we continue to work tirelessly for the people and remain united, we will always prevail,” he said.

Najib said as long as he is the prime minister, the interests of the people would come first.

“We will deliver on our promises to them. My priority will continue to be the economic welfare, social wellbeing and security of all Malaysians,”‎ he added. — Bernama