The opposition has blasted Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak for stooping so low in having Umno put up billboards of the party president visiting an ailing Kelantan Menteri Besar Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat.

Opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim described the Umno's action of putting it up as hitting below the belt.

NONE "Why is this going to the hospital for a visit is also being politicised? You are stooping so low by resorting to such methods of campaigning.

"Umno uses this to play with the peoples' sentiment to show that Najib is nice and good," said Anwar at a ceramah last night.

Anwar, who is also Permatang Pauh MP, said if this was something personal, it should not be used as campaign material.

"Najib, if you want to show your good character then you should not be zalim (cruel) to the people, do not fitnah (slander), work hard to uplift the poor people, and not use this hospital visit to get political mileage," he said.

Malaysiakini

had reported on Thursday that Umno and BN put up new billboards depicting Najib and his wife Rosmah Mansor visiting Nik Aziz at Universiti Sains Malaysia hospital in Kubang Kerian, sometime in July 2004, when he was the deputy prime minister.

Contesting with handicap

Anwar also said that the opposition was facing an uphill battle in the Bagan Pinang by-election.

NONE "We are contesting under extraneous conditions with lesser facilities. The mainstream media is against us. Furthermore, the ruling government has an advantage of the 4,604 postal voters."

"Here we find those who fight for the good have been condemned, while those who had been found guilty of corruption (referring to Umno candidat Mohd Isa Samad) have been elevated.

"Those who robbed the country of its riches receive a medal of honour, those who are good are being belittled," he said.

Using Nik Aziz as an example, the opposition leader said BN and Umno attacked the well-known clergy while in Permatang Pasir.

Despite such attacks, Anwar said the opposition managed to win in Permatang Pasir and was hopeful the residents in Bagan Pinang would do the same.

Salahuddin wants police to apologise

Meanwhile, PAS election director for the Bagan Pinang seat Salahuddin Ayub in a press conference today has demanded that the police apologise for not believing the attacks on PAS workers were done by Umno Youth members which was reported in the mainstream media.

"I have already given my statement to the police under Section 112 of the Criminal Procedure Code yesterday. They should investigate and bring the culprits to justice," he said.

At the same time, the PAS vice-president also told reporters that he had also reported polling irregularities to the police, Election Commission and also the returning officer.

"This concerns the discrepancies in the postal votes as had been reported earlier and we want the authorities to take action on them," he said.

Salahuddin wants the voters in Bagan Pinang to judge for themselves the dirty tactics employed by Umno and BN and vote for the opposition front.

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