JOHOR BAHRU, March 30 ― Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi today reminded the Barisan Nasional eaders and machinery in Johor to set aside trivial matters and differences among& the component parties in capturing the hearts of the voters.

Ahmad Zahid, who is also the BN deputy chairman, said any problem among the BN component parties should be totally resolved as the general election could be held at any time now.

"We (BN) have conducted the election dry run and simulation. I hope we can correct any mistakes that we may have committed. We must have the interests of the voters at heart,” he said.

Ahmad Zahid said the BN members had to set aside the differences among the communities as they were the people of Johor and under the same banner, the BN banner.

He was launching the Johor BN election machinery at the Pasir Gudang Municipal Council indoor stadium here. Johor Menteri Besar and Johor BN chairman Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin; UMNO vice-president Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Tun Hussein and Johor chairmen of BN component parties also attended the event.

Ahmad Zahid said the BN would not allow others to gain a foothold in Johor and that the launch of the election machinery today was a clear signal to the opposition not to interfere in the state.

He said that for this reason, the BN machinery including its chairmen of the polling districts should be ready to face the general election, especially in identifying the voters.

"Anyone can come to Johor to contest as bats every five years, surely ‘bangsa Johor’ (the people of Johor) will reject them.

"As we engage in cheers today, have we identified our voters? The first thing to do is to identify the ‘white’ voters, the ‘fixed deposit’ voters who are with us. Secondly, we have to identify the locations of these voters,” he said.

Ahmad Zahid said he had heard of opposition attempts to lure members of the BN machinery to the other side.

He warned the opposition not to attempt to lure BN members, saying the people of Johor were resolute.

Ahmad Zahid said that though the BN was an old party, its performance showed that it carried out the best possible transformation for the well-being of the people.

"Yes, we (BN) have weaknesses but, don’t forget, they (opposition), too, have weaknesses. What about the water problem in Selangor? The bungalow and tunnel in Penang? The land problem in Ijok, Selangor?

"These go to show that a new party may not necessarily be able to do the best (to serve the people). I wish to say that this is not the time to change but for us to recapture. We want the marginal seats, we want to increase the majority,” he said. ― Bernama