THERE is no need for Umno to persuade any Opposition MP to voice their support for Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, Pontian MP Ahmad Maslan said.

The Umno Supreme Council member said this was because the Unity Government has very strong and stable support.

“I would like to state that any Umno leadership has never persuaded anyone. If they (Opposition MPs) want to support, they just do it.

“The prime minister has never instructed me to do such things as we are a government that is stable and strong enough and there is no need for the government to ‘fish’ for anyone,” he said in a media conference after officiating the Takaful Masuk Kampung programme in Pontian last week.

Ahmad, who is also deputy finance minister, was commenting on Perikatan Nasional (PN) secretary-general Datuk Seri Hamzah Zainudin’s statement yesterday that PN was gathering evidence regarding alleged intimidation made against opposition MPs to support the Unity Government. — Bernama