The Umno deputy president is sitting back and letting the Pakatan parties fight among themselves over fielding a candidate in the Batu Sapi by-election.

“Let them fight. For us in BN, we are already have the concept of agreement of ideas and an understanding when it comes to power-sharing.

NONE “We have already agreed that although Umno is the largest party in Sabah, we’ll let PBS run in the by-election,” said Muhyiddin Yassin ( right ), who is also the deputy prime minister.

Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of the Umno general assembly in Kuala Lumpur this afternoon, he also launched some broadsides against his rivals in Pakatan.

“I hope the voters will know all these tricks of Pakatan. With all this infighting, I hope they can be able to discern the Pakatan candidates who claim to have support from their own coalition,” he said in response to a reporter who had asked him on the ‘infighting’ within Pakatan.

Although both DAP and PKR had earlier intended to field a candidate in the Batu Sapi by-election set to be held on Nov 4, DAP finally relented and it is agreed that it would be a PKR candidate.

However, Pakatan is still frantically negotiating with local independent party SAPP who have also intended to contest.

‘Racial debates are just academic’

In the meantime, Muhyiddin also echoed Umno president Najib Abdul Razak’s speech, saying that it should be understood by all Malaysians that their rights would be protected by the constitution, therefore debates about it are academic.

“They should know that it would take a two-third majority in Parliament to amend the constitution. Any amendment would also have to go through the council of rulers.

“So any debates about it, whether their rights are being eroded or denied, are academic.

“And although they are just academic, they actually have very grave consequences and they incite anger,” he said.

“We already have a good foundation and it is pointless to ruin it,” he said.