BUTTERWORTH: Permatang Pauh Umno members have been told to close ranks and translate their strength into votes in the Permatang Pauh by-election on Aug 26.

Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak said they should put their differences aside and work together to ensure victory for Barisan Nasional.

"They must put their internal problems aside. Stop thinking about Umno's divisional election for now and fully concentrate on the Permatang Pauh by-election," he said Saturday after meeting Permatang Pauh Umno grassroots leaders at Wisma Perkeso in Seberang Jaya here.

Najib said among Barisan's biggest challenges was to get Umno members to remain loyal to the coalition.

He said Barisan had the necessary manpower, but it needed to maximise its capacity.

"Although we have the strength (in Permatang Pauh), we did not fully succeed in translating it into votes in the past general elections here," he said.

Najib said Barisan had identified some of the factors why it lost the seat in the March 8 general election and was hoping that the voters would return to support its candidate this time around.

"I am confident that we will be able to convince them that their support for Barisan is highly important," he added.

Najib said 43 of the 92 Umno branches in Permatang Pauh that had yet to hold their annual general meetings were told to postpone them till after the by-election.

He also said Barisan had chosen an appropriate campaign strategy for the by-election but added that the coalition would not disclose it yet as it was a secret.

On claims that Barisan was an underdog in Permatang Pauh, Najib said: "It is okay that people call us the underdog. I prefer us to face the by-election as an underdog."

On the Permatang Pauh Umno division?s proposal for its chairman Datuk Abdul Jalil Abdul Majid as Barisan's candidate, Najib said the choice of candidate had not been finalised.

"We did not talk about the candidate. It is the decision of the party president. We usually announce the candidate closer to nomination. I do not think it would affect our chances of winning," he said.