Gerakan cries foul over last-ditch campaigning

TG PIAI POLLS | Although campaigning was supposed to have ended at midnight, last-minute vote canvassing took place outside many polling centres this morning.

Dozens of Pakatan Harapan and Barisan Nasional (BN) activists were engaged in a shouting match at SJK(C) Yu Ming, Pekan Nanas.

BN activists were positioned closer to the polling centre and were shouting "Pakatan Hancing" (pungent alliance), "Undi BN" (vote for BN) and "Number two" in Chinese.

Harapan activists retorted with chants of "Penjara" (jail) and "Sungai Buloh", in reference to former BN chairperson Najib Abdul Razak's pending trials.

Over at SK Serkat, Pontian and SK Telok Kerang, Telok Kerang, dozens of BN activists were chanting, while their Harapan counterparts were more subdued.

When met outside SJK(C) Yu Ming at about 9am, Gerakan candidate Wendy Subramaniam spoke to reporters and singled out BN as the main offender.

At the time, the Harapan supporters outside the school had yet to begin chanting.

Wendy said it was disappointing that BN, despite having been in power for more than 60 years, doesn't follow the rules.

"Every polling centre I visited is the same. They are chanting 'Vote Number two!'

"The Election Commission tried chasing them away, but they would return 15 minutes later," said Wendy.

She alleged that BN vote canvassers at SMK Yunos were clearly within 50m from the polling centre.

Wendy said that competing parties should obey the rules and have a fair election, adding that this is the only way for the country to progress.

"When I enter the polling centre, I only shake hands. I don't even identify myself.

"If your candidate is so famous, what is with the last-minute campaigning? Why?" she asked.

Gerakan president Dominic Lau, who was accompanying Wendy, said his party respects the law and will not engage in such practices.

He said he would lodge a complaint with the Election Commission after the by-election. - Mkini