Guan Eng to voters: Don’t judge on race, but on who’s clean, can pay civil salaries

TG PIAI POLLS | DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng has called on Tanjung Piai voters to judge candidates based on their parties abilities to, among others, handle the economy and pay civil servants’ salaries.

Speaking to reporters following the nomination of candidates for the Nov 16 by-election today, Lim urged the candidates and political parties to shun the racial and religious rhetoric when campaigning.

Instead, Lim, who is also the Finance Minister, said parties should campaign on a platform of who is clean, free from corruption and is best able to handle the economy.

“Let this campaign proceed without issues on (racial and religious) sentiments being played up. Let’s not compete based on slander and unfounded accusations,” he said to reporters.

“(To voters,) let us compare which party is cleaner, which party is not involved in corruption. Let’s compare based on their abilities and capabilities to handle the economy, which party can pay government staff salaries,” he said.

Six candidates are vying for the parliamentary seat following today’s nomination.

The main contenders are Tanjung Piai Bersatu chief Karmaine Sardini, who is defending the seat for Pakatan Harapan against BN’s former two-term Tanjung Piai MP Wee Jeck Seng of MCA.

In GE14, Wee lost to the incumbent, the late Dr Md Farid Md Rafik, by just 524 votes.

The other candidates are Gerakan deputy secretary-general Wendy Subramaniam, Berjasa president Badhrulhisham Abdul Aziz and independents Ang Chuan Lock and Faridah Aryani Abd Ghaffar.

[More to follow]

- Mkini