NOBODY CARES HOW MUCH MONEY I STOLE OR DIDN’T STEAL? RIGHT OR WRONG, ISA SAMAD DISMISSES HIS CORRUPTION SCANDALS, DARES TO BOAST – ‘I AM ALREADY LEADING PD RACE’

FORMER Negri Sembilan menteri besar Isa Samad said his vote for himself has put him ahead of the race in the Port Dickson by-election.

The independent candidate, who is a former Umno strongman, said that as a local boy he had an advantage over the competition, including PKR president-elect Anwar Ibrahim, who were parachute candidates while he was a registered voter in the parliamentary constituency.

“Their disadvantage is that they cannot vote for themselves. As of today, I have got one vote – mine because I vote here.

“This is not counting the votes of my family members. I am already leading as of today,” Isa told The Malaysian Insight in an interview in Port Dickson.

The former Teluk Kemang Umno Chief said he was disappointed in his former party for not fielding a candidate in the by-election.

“I had expected to be placed as the candidate but Umno did otherwise. That’s not to say that I wanted it badly, but my name had come up several times.

“I waited but the party decided on a boycott. My view is that we must contest. That was why I quit Umno. If I hadn’t, I would be sacked,” Isa said.

A member since 1972, Isa said he was “aggrieved” at having to leave the party but it had to be done for the sake of Negri Sembilan.

“This does not change anything. This does not affect the state or country. But the party should have contested to show we are good opposition,” Isa said.

Even though he has quit Umno, the former Jempol MP said he had election machinery to back him on the campaign trail

“The machinery will be there. There will be many friends helping me, even from Umno,” he said.

Isa will be going door to door to meet his voters.

He is up against Anwar, PAS’ Mohd Nazari Mokhtar, a retired air force officer,  and four other independents including Anwar’s ex-aide Mohd Saiful Bukhari Azlan.

Isa was the Linggi assemblyman for five terms, who also won Bagan Pinang state seat in a by-election in 2009. Both seats are in the Port Dickson parliamentary constituency.

Isa Samad confident Felda scandals won’t hurt his chances in PD

INDEPENDENT candidate Isa Samad is confident that his alleged involvement in several Federal Land Development Authority (Felda) scandals will not come back to haunt him in the Port Dickson by-election.

Dismissing the controversies as mere political ploys, the former Negri Sembilan menteri besar believes that voters will look at his 40-year track record in the army town and back him in the October 13 polls.

“It will not have an impact. The Felda issue was a political issue. The Felda issue will not be much of a problem with locals,” he told The Malaysian Insight in an interview in Port Dickson recently.

Isa’s tenure as Felda chairman – from 2011 to last year – was tainted by scandals that included shady land deals and hotel purchases. He was investigated by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission and police over his alleged involvement.

In August last year, he was detained by MACC for five days.

Isa said the issues were concocted by Pakatan Harapan in its bid to win over Felda voters.

“The then opposition attacked Felda because Felda has a large number of voters. They (PH) created the issues. My case is more of a political case.

“People (in Port Dickson) will not be affected by the issues in Felda. They know me. I have served this area for 40 years.”

The former Teluk Kemang Umno chief is up against PKR president-elect Anwar Ibrahim, retired air force officer Mohd Nazari Mokhtar of PAS, and four independents, including Anwar’s former aide, Mohd Saiful Bukhari Azlan.

Isa was Linggi assemblyman for five terms, and won the Bagan Pinang state seat in a by-election in 2009. The two seats are in the Port Dickson parliamentary constituency. He was also Jempol MP.

The following are excerpts from Isa’s interview with The Malaysian Insight:

Q: What motivated you to run in Port Dickson?

A: I made a decision after the seat was vacated. People in Port Dickson asked me to contest. This is a good opportunity. This (vacating of the seat) should not have happened. It has been only four months (since the 14th general election).

Q: Are you being sponsored by anyone to run? Did someone in Umno get you to do this?

A: No one. I am paying for myself. If someone can afford to sponsor me, the price would be very high.

Q: If you win, will you return to Umno or join another party?

A: I have not thought about it that far. I want to win first before I think of anything else. I left Umno because I wanted to contest this by-election. I left before they sacked me for going against the party.

Q: What issues in Port Dickson will you address if you win?

A: There are flooding problems here. It is a complicated issue. The infrastructure around here also needs to be improved. Port Dickson is a tourist town, so we need to be up to date.

Q: Armed forces personnel make up at least 9% of the voters here. How do you plan on winning their votes?

A: They have always supported me. I hope they will also give their support this time. But, we do not have access to the armed forces area. We don’t have an opportunity to mingle with them. The only way is via newspapers and social media. I hope they are aware.

– https://www.themalaysianinsight.com