Najib to meet Obama this month

Prime Minister Najib Razak has confirmed that he will be meeting with US president Barak Obama during a visit to United States this month.

It is learnt that Najib will be visiting US for two weeks, beginning April 7.

According to Bernama , Najib raised the issue of his meeting with Obama while having a chat with officials at the Hulu Selangor BN by-election machinery in Kuala Kubu Bahru today.

He quipped that a win in Hulu Selangor was important as he would be meeting Obama.

"I want to meet Obama armed with political muscle. I want to tell him: 'Mr President, Hulu Selangor is BN's constituency' although Obama does not know where is Hulu Selangor," he said amid laughter.

This will be Najib’s first four-eye meeting with the US president.

‘Loan’ period to PKR over

Najib also said that the PKR 'loan' of the Hulu Selangor seat has ended and should be returned as this was BN's traditional seat for a long time.

Najib, who celebrated his one year in office today, said a BN win at the Hulu Selangor by-election would be a sign that the people's confidence had returned.

"It will prove that sentiments of 2008 in support of the opposition was only temporary. It will also help BN regain two-third majority in Parliament."

However, the prime minister said he had yet to decide on who to field as the BN candidate.

Muhyiddin to announce candidate

MIC president S Samy Vellu had proposed party deputy president G Palanivel to contest the seat.

Palanivel was the MP for Hulu Selangor for four terms since 1990 before he lost the seat in the general election in 2008.

Najib said at a press conference today that Deputy Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin will be announcing the BN candidate as he would be leaving for the US next Wednesday.

Nomination for the by-election is on April 17, while polling is on April 25.

The by-election has been necessitated by the death of PKR parliamentarian Dr Zainal Abidin Ahmad of brain cancer on March 25.