Shahrizat said the accusations were deliberately made by certain parties, whereas Wanita Umno is constantly moving together with the BN campaign machinery in helping Mastura campaign in the Kuala Kangsar parliamentary by-election.

“Sometimes outsiders do not know what is happening. They just make all kinds of ‘tohmahan’,” she told reporters after visiting gold thread embroidery entrepreneur Azizah Mohd Yusof in Kampung Padang Changkat here today.

According to Shahrizat, she regularly meets Mastura on her campaign trail.

“I met Mastura and she said that if she is elected to represent the people in Parliament, she will carry out the tasks as best as she can to fulfil the needs of the people.”

The by-election will be held this Saturday following the death of incumbent Wan Mohammad Khair-il Anuar Wan Ahmad, who died in a helicopter crash in Sebuyau, Sarawak, on May 5.

Earlier, Shahrizat, who spent almost an hour at Azizah’s residence, said she was impressed with the enthusiasm of the 78-year-old woman, who was actively carrying out the handicraft to the extent of breaking into the international market.

She said Azizah’s efforts also opened up opportunities for women in the region for embroidery skills as well as contributing towards increasing their income.

On the late Wan Mohammad Khair-il’s intention to preserve the art of embroidery in the state, she is confident Menteri Besar Zambry Abdul Kadir will make it happen.

– BERNAMA