BUTTERWORTH: Former Barisan Nasional's (BN) Tasek Gelugor member of parliament Datuk Seri Mohd Shariff Omar does not want to be "sacrificed" again after giving up on his hometown constituency in 2008 to allow the then Finance Minister II Tan Sri Mohd Nor Yakcop to contest the federal seat.
The 64--year--old former deputy agriculture and agro--based industries minister told a press conference yesterday he had a good track record and maintained a party loyalist could retaliate if he was not treated with respect.
"I was sacrificed once before,so janganlah korbankan saya sekali lagi (please don't sacrifice me again). I am not hoping for anything.
"I can make my own decision. You can read between the lines if you want."
Mohd Shariff said he was an "ordinary man" and urged people not to worry about him.
"I don't rely on anybody. I am a simple kampung person and a man of principle. Four years ago,I was asked to give up my seat for tan sri and I did.
"People asked me to contest as an independent but I honoured my word to the then prime minister (Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi),but I maintain a loyalist can fight back if he is isnot treated right."
Following Abdullah's request for him to step aside,Mohd Shariff recounted Nor Yakcop asked to meet up at his home after midnight as he did not want to upset his supporters.
"I did not want my people to become upset if they saw Nor Yakcop as they knew I was asked to step aside.
"I told him to come after midnight,and he told me he only needed a term as his senatorship ended in two years and he needed to help the PM with financial matters."
He said he managed to walk tall despite having no position and survived on his pension.
On May 23,Mohd Shariff said he was prepared to stand again as a Tasek Gelugor candidate as Nor Yakcop's promise of "only one term" would expire with dissolution of Parliament.
He had reportedly said Tasek Gelugor was his stronghold,particularly when he helped develop it for 20 years.
In the 2008 elections,only two of the 13 parliamentary seats,the other being Abdullah's Kepala Batas seat,were won by arisan Nasional.
Nor Yakcop,who is currently Minister in the Prime Minister's Department in charge of Economic Planning Unit,was later quoted as saying he would leave it to the party leadership to field a winnable candidate although he respected Mohd Shariff's decision to re--contest the seat.