GE14 | Wangsa Maju Umno division chief Mohd Shafei Abdullah has announced his plan for a brief rest following BN's decision yesterday to return the Wangsa Maju seat to MCA.

"Now it is time for me to rest," he told Malaysiakini.

Shafei, who felt that Umno should contest in Wangsa Maju, remained tight-lipped on whether he will campaign for Federal Territories MCA chief Yew Teong Look in the run-up to May 9 general election.

"There is no issue whether I will mobilise (Umno to campaign for Yew) or whatever, but I myself have to rest a bit," he said, adding that he has been campaigning in Wangsa Maju the past two years.

When pressed further if he would come out to help Yew after a short rest, he said curtly: "You ask yourself lah."

Shafei said he did not appear at yesterday's event where BN unveiled its candidates for Federal Territories because he had other matters to attend to.

At a press conference yesterday, BN secretary-general Tengku Adnan said he believed Shafei would come to his senses.

"Shafei had worked for the past four years, I am not denying that. Umno wanted the seat badly, but due to our BN's spirit, we need to negotiate and look at things in a broader way," he said.

It was reported last week that a text message was circulating on social media, telling Wangsa Maju Umno members to remove all BN paraphernalia already out up for the 14th general election until Shafei is announced as a candidate.

Shafei denied any sabotage but admitted discontent among the party members.

There are about 13,000 Umno members in Wangsa Maju, he noted.

Wangsa Maju was won by Umno for two terms in 1995 and 1999, but later given to MCA. In 2013 polls, Wangsa Maju was one of three seats loaned to Umno.

Yew (left in photo) won Wangsa Maju in 2004 but lost to PKR's Wee Choo Keong in 2008.

The relationship between Umno and MCA turned sour in 2013 after Wangsa Maju Umno demanded to contest in the seat.

Three weeks before 2013 election, Wangsa Maju MCA decided to pull out from BN's campaign machinery, an act seen as sabotaging Shafei. Shafei was defeated with a majority of 5,511`votes.

Wangsa Maju is a mixed-seat with 57 percent Malay voters, 32 percent Chinese and 8 percent Indians. It has 80,909 voters in all.

Questioned by reporters yesterday, Yew said he was confident that the problem between both parties can be resolved in one week, adding that Malay voters will support BN.

However, he declined to revisit the withdrawal of MCA from the BN campaign machinery in 2013 for fear it will stir up the situation.

"This is past history. If I comment, then it will worsen the situation. It is important that we work together under the BN spirit to win the election," Yew said.