REMBAU: Barisan Nasional (BN) respects the consensus that the candidate fielded in any by-election will come from the party which won the seat in the last general election, said its deputy chairman Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan.
He said the candidate from the incumbent party in the unity government would be given the priority in the upcoming Kuala Kubu Baharu by-election slated for May 11.
"This is not a general election where we are able to swap seats.
"When there's a death (of an elected representative), we give a chance to the incumbent party to field its candidate," he told reporters at his Hari Raya open house in Rantau.
He was commenting on a statement by the MCA political development committee that the party would not campaign in the Kuala Kubu Baharu by-election if the candidate was not from BN.
Mohamad, who is also the foreign minister, said members in the unity government worked together during the Pulai and Simpang Jeram by-elections in Johor and the Pelangai by-election in Pahang and this cooperation should continue.
"Since our friends in the unity government helped one another then, we should continue with this cooperation.
"If we decide not to (help the candidate of the party contesting for the seat), then it will not look nice," he said.
Mohamad said helping to campaign for a candidate representing the unity government does not mean that the parties had merged.
He said BN would hold a meeting after the by-election candidate is announced and would organise programmes and campaign trails.
Previously, MIC president Tan Sri S.A. Vigneswaran had also hinted the same, adding that the party would only help to campaign in elections involving Barisan candidates.
"We will manage it within BN.
"We need to help our friends (in the unity government) just like we did in the previous by-elections," said Mohamad, who is Umno deputy president.
However, he said the party would consider helping if there was a request from the PH leadership.
Mohamad said the understanding was that the seat would be contested by PH, and it would be up to the coalition to decide on the candidate.
"There has only been one meeting between us so far, and we don't even know if DAP will be defending the seat."
The Election Commission has announced the Kuala Kubu Baharu by-election following the death of its assemblyman Lee Kee Hiong recently.
Nomination day will be on April 27.
