Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi said today that Barisan Nasional (BN) will ensure that only able candidates who can serve the people with honesty, integrity and efficiency are fielded in the coming general election.

This was to prove to the people that the party was serious in its responsibility to develop the country and that the government was committed to making Malaysia a developed nation by 2020, the prime minister said.

"At the same time, we are aware that we need to work harder because we are adding value to what we do.

“ This is extremely important because what we want is progress for the rakyat. This is our commitment,” the BN chairman said at a news conference after chairing the BN council meeting here.

He hoped that the people would vote for BN again in the election and give the coalition a new mandate so that it could continue to improve its services for the people.
On BN’s preparations, Abdullah said all the component parties were ready and would continue to cooperate in the general election.

Abdullah said he was happy with the coalition’s preparation and “we will cooperate as usual because we stand together as a team, united with one common purpose, to win in order to serve the people, and to continue with whatever we want to do.” He said BN had been proven as a party that works, successfully representing all communities, and one that had taken the mandate given it by the people in the 2004 election seriously.

On seat allocation, Abdullah said: “As it was,” and on the candidates list, he said it was not finalised yet.

He said BN deputy chairman Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak would spearhead the party’s election machinery at the national level.