Leaders and members of the Barisan Nasional (BN) must leave it fully to BN chairman Najib Abdul Razak to determine the candidates representing the coalition to contest in the upcoming 14th general elections (GE14).

Communications and Multimedia Minister Salleh Said Keruak said Najib, who is also Umno president, would make the final decision on the candidates, and what was more important now was that party machinery should continue to be strengthened to ensure a comfortable win at the general election.

"The question of candidates is not our right, the question of candidates is the ultimate right of the president of Umno and the BN chairperson.

"It's no longer the time for us to lobby to become candidates ... that era has changed. We have to hand it over fully to the party leadership to determine which candidate will be fielded to contest in GE14.

"What we must strengthen is the party. So, we should support anybody who is selected by our leadership," he said when met by reporters at the Chinese New Year Open House at the home of ‘Kapitan China’, Andy Chua in Kampung Tombol, near Kota Belud today.

Salleh said it was the duty of all BN members to close ranks and give full support to the candidates who had been finalised.

“When the top leadership has decided on the candidates, our duty is to close ranks and strengthen the party so that we can get a comfortable win,” he said.

On the open house, Salleh said the practice of open houses during festive seasons had become a tradition in Kota Belud, to simultaneously show the harmonious unity among the numerous communities and religions in the district.

About 2,000 residents of various races in the district attended to enliven the open house which saw a myriad of food offered other than the lion and dragon dance performances put up.

- Bernama