KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 25 — Members of Umno and Barisan Nasional (BN) need to give full support to the BN candidate for the Pelangai state by-election Datuk Amizar Abu Adam.

Former prime minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob said the candidate was chosen to represent the party and his defeat will affect the party as a whole.

"The candidate is representing us because he is contesting on our party’s ticket, he is not doing this on his own. So, as party members, we have to support him.

"If he loses, it means the entire party loses, and the party’s image will be tarnished,” he told reporters here after opening the International Malay Language Aspiration Symposium today.

Ismail Sabri said this in response to the action of former Bentong Umno Youth member Haslihelmy DM Zulhasli, who opted to contest as an independent candidate in the Pelangai by-election in protest against BN’s decision to field Amizar as the party candidate.

The by-election slated for October 7 is seeing a three-cornered fight between Amizar, Kasim Samat (Perikatan Nasional) and Haslihelmy. — Bernama