Will Zul kiss and make up?

One of the most controversial figures in the elections, Zulkifli Noordin continues to draw flak.

This despite assurances from Barisan Nasional chairperson Najib Abdul Razak that the Indian community had accepted the candidacy of the Perkasa vice-president.

The Malay Mail picture of Zulkifl is being kissed by an Indian BN supporter during nominations was cited as a reflection of the Indian community's trust in Zulkifli.

But the picture, taken by The Malay Mail journalist Amirul Ruslan, which had gone viral on various social networking sites, had attracted condemnation from the Indian community.

One Facebook user posted "He should be despised and not embraced."

Questions abound whether the 'kissing scene' was staged by Zulkifli to show that the Indians have begun to accept him as a BN candidate for the Shah Alam parliamentary seat.

During his visit to Shah Alam on Monday, Najib called the kiss an indication that the Indians had accepted the "reformed" candidate, who had apologised for comments deemed to be racist.

He said Zulkifli would now champion Indian causes by building temples and schools for them in Shah Alam.

Najib (right in photo) and other BN leaders have also described Zulkifli as the prototype of the BN's political transformation, as a candidate who showcases the coalition's willingness to transform itself.

The former Kulim Bandar Baru MP and lawyer, who became a BN-friendly independent in 2010, after he was sacked from the party for criticising Pakatan Rakyat leaders, has repeatedly hit headlines for his hard line Islamic stance.

He came under the spotlight in a video where he questioned the purity of the Ganges River, considered sacred by Hindus, and when he asked an Indian trader why Hindu gods did not prevent the man’s shop from being flooded.

He has since apologised for his comments which went viral over YouTube, claiming he had made them while being a PAS member 10 years ago.

But a more recent video of Zulkifli using a derogatory term to refer to Indians has further incensed the community. Zulkifli's direct candidacy as "a friend of BN" was approved despite reservations from MIC leaders.

Sources within MIC have revealed that campaigning by the party has been affected by the nomination.

MIC's strategic director S Vellpaari (left) , who has been the most vocal critic, had warned MIC president G Palanivel that the party might risk losing 50 per cent to 70 per cent of the Indian votes across the country.

The son of former party chief S Samy Vellu pointed out that the high number of Indian voters in the area - with 15,000 in Shah Alam, 31,000 in Kota Raja, 21,000 in Kapar and 17,000 in Subang - could easily sway to the Opposition as a result.

In Shah Alam, Zulkifli is taking on incumbent MP Khalid Samad of PAS, with whom he had a much publicised feud over the use of the word “Allah” by non-Muslims.

Shah Alam is an urban parliament constituency comprise with 100,076 voters of whom 69.9 per cent are Malays, 14.9 per cent Chinese and 14.2 per cent Indians.

- The Malay Mail

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