BAGAN DATUK, Jan 3 – UMNO and Barisan Nasional (BN) have decided to contest all Parliamentary and State Assembly (DUN) seats won in the 14th General Election (GE14).

UMNO president Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi who is also BN chairman, said the UMNO Supreme Council (MT) had also decided that all party and BN candidates contesting in GE15 would use the BN emblem.

“MT UMNO has decided that all UMNO and BN seats, whether Parliament or DUN, which were won in the last GE14, must be taken back for us to contest. UMNO has that seat, UMNO will demand back the seat.

“We will also not use the emblems of other parties. It is up to other parties to use their own emblem or the emblem of their new friend but UMNO and BN, an opponent remains as opponent,” he said when officiating the Bagan Datuk UMNO Delegates Meeting here today.

He said after GE14, a total of 16 UMNO MPs left the party thus leaving it with just 38 seats in the Dewan Rakyat without taking into account the vacancy in Gerik following the death of its incumbent, Datuk Hasbullah Osman, last November.

The Bagan Datuk Member of Parliament also said that UMNO and BN have never and will never join Perikatan Nasional.

Emphasizing that the PN Presidential Council was created to ensure check and balance on the government’s policy, Ahmad Zahid also reminded UMNO members at all levels to issue statements that are in line with the leadership.