PD POLLS DAY 8 | Campaigning by the seven candidates running in the Port Dickson by-election continues today.
Malaysiakini brings you live reports of the campaigning on the ground.
KEY HIGHLIGHTS
- PD folk flock to join Anwar, Wan Azizah at beach concert
- Lukewarm response to PAS family day event
- Anwar will solve your problems, Daim tells fishermen
- Saiful keeping beaches clean
- Isa: Who says PD hasn't progressed?
- I'm here as PKR president, says Wan Azizah
- Gobind: Candidates attending events normal for election season
- 'Are we using gov't machinery? See for yourself'
- Dr M's 'star power' to attract voters
- Orang Asli calls for telco tower and better internet access
- Gobind joins PD campaign, denies his arrival due to Anwar's internet speed complaint
- Gobind says MCMC will make a special announcement tomorrow
- Anwar defends AirAsia boss over election stunt
- PAS' Nazari welcomes granddaughter
- Anwar will propose weekly military band performances
PD folk flock to join Anwar, Wan Azizah at beach concert
11pm: Waterfront, Port Dickson - Deputy Prime Minister Wan Azizah Wan Ismail and Pakatan Harapan candidate for PD Anwar Ibrahim arrive at a beach concert.
The event is organised by Pertubuhan Khidmat Kebajikan Masyarakat Madani (Madani), the Anwar Ibrahim Club (AIC) and the Muafakat Anak Muda.
The event features a strong line-up of well-known bands and artistes including Hattan, M Nasir and Awie and attracts a large crowd of over 2,000.
Wan Azizah and Anwar Ibrahim booth make short speeches. were invited to take the stage and give a short speech.
"This is Dato' Seri Anwar Ibrahim. He is the number one candidate. Remember to make a cross for number one on the polling day! We hope that he will become our representative for PD!" says Wan Azizah.
Anwar then greets the crowd, "My name is Anwar Ibrahim. I feel like I have become a family member of Port Dickson! I feel that I am accepted here." The crowd cheers lustily at this.
"Next Monday will be the first time for our Prime Minister Tun Mahathir and I share the same stage after twenty years. It will happen in Port Dickson," he added
Lukewarm response to PAS family day event
10pm: Kampung Baharu - PAS organises a full-day family event with activities for the public.
Dubbed the "PD Prosperity Carnival", the event attracts some 300 PAS members and supporters.
Lucky draws with prizes such as bread toasters, electrical fans and kitchenware are given out to the lucky attendees.
The grand prize for the night is a 32-inch LCD television.
The event also offers medical check-ups, busker performances, free ice creams and artistes performances.
PAS candidate Mohd Nazari Mokhtar drops by and speaks of his newly-born granddaughter, the reason he joined PAS and being fielded as a candidate for the by-election.
Anwar will solve your problems, Daim tells fishermen
6pm: Teluk Kemang – Former Council of Eminent Persons chairperson Daim Zainuddin urged locals to throw their support behind Harapan candidate Anwar Ibrahim because he is capable of solving the woes of fisher folk.
"Choose him on Oct 13. Then, Anwar will solve your problems.
"If he doesn't care about you in the future, do tell me!" he quipped.
Anwar tells the crowd that he cannot make too many promises in his campaign, since he does not want to break any election laws.
"This is the third fishing village I have visited. I know about the difficulties faced by the fisher folk.
"But I can't simply make any promises, because I cannot use government facilities. We want a clean election campaign."
Azmin joins campaign, pledges help to fishermen
5.45pm: Teluk Kemang – Economic Affairs Minister Mohamed Azmin Ali and former Council of Eminent Persons chairperson Daim Zainuddin appear to campaign for Harapan candidate Anwar Ibrahim.
Persatuan Kebajikan Anak Nelayan Teluk Kemang president Nurtazar Md Nor relays to Azmin the goruses of local fisher folk, such as the lack of space for boats, and the need for cement paths to pull their boats from out of the sea.
In turn, Azmin promises to raise these issues with Negeri Sembilan Menteri Besar Aminuddin Harun.
"I will discuss with Anwar and Aminuddin about problems faced by the fisher folk here, including the status of the land and the need of infrastructure for the fishermen to park their boats, " said Azmin.
"I believe that we, as a government that cares about people and also the fisher folk, all the problems can be solved through good cooperation after Oct 13. Insya Allah."
Saiful keeping beaches clean
4.20pm: Teluk Kemang beach - Independent candidate Mohd Saiful Bukhari Azlan launches an initiative to clean the beaches of Port Dickson.
He intends to start today by handing out biodegradable plastic trash bags to tourists along the beach here so that they can pick up after themselves.
“It is not the locals dirtying the beach. I find that the locals care about the beaches a lot.
“It is the tourists who are dirtying the beaches, so I plan to raise awareness among them,” he tells reporters here.
Keeping the beaches clean would improve the tourism industry in Port Dickson, which would in turn develop the local economy, he says.
Isa: Who says PD hasn't progressed?
4pm: Kampung Pachitan - Independent candidate Mohd Isa Abdul Samad dismisses talk that Port Dickson has not progressed, saying that those who make such claims have "vision problems."
"Many developments have been enjoyed by this tourism town under the previous government. They (detractors) have vision problems and need to use glasses.
"Such developments include the construction of the Seremban-Port Dickson highway and the provision of complete infrastructure for the convenience of the people.
"We will only need to further improve the development and progress in the district," the former Negeri Sembilan menteri besar is quoted as saying by Bernama after attending a circumcision ceremony here.
I'm here as PKR president, says Wan Azizah
4pm: Linggi – Deputy Prime Minister Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail says that she is in Port Dickson campaigning for her husband and Harapan candidate Anwar Ibrahim in her capacity as incumbent PKR president, Bernama reports.
She also stresses that she has not used government machinery and assets in the campaign, pointing out that even the police officers who escorted her were not deployed upon her request.
"They said it’s their responsibility to protect me,” she tells the residents of Kampung Pengkalan Durian in a meet-and-greet programme.
Earlier, Wan Azizah tells the residents of Air Kuning that Putrajaya would look into reviewing aid for single mothers that might have been cut or stopped.
“We will see how we can help these single mothers, but we have to bear in mind that the country has quite a huge debt and we have to put balance on that, but no matter what, we will continue helping the needy and the poor,” she says.
Gobind: Candidates attending events normal for election season
12.50pm: Sri Tanjung – Minister Gobind Singh Deo says there is no harm in Harapan candidate Anwar Ibrahim attending free events organised by others, as such dinners and concerts are part and parcel of election season.
"If it is an event organised by a group of people so that the candidate can actually go there and introduce himself, I think it is okay.
"I think candidates should attend as many functions as they can," he says.
'Are we using gov't machinery? See for yourself'
12.40pm: Taman Dato Haji Abdul Samad –Harapan candidate Anwar Ibrahim arrives at the beachside Avillion Hotel for a luncheon with Saifuddin and Negeri Sembilan menteri besar Aminuddin Harun.
When asked to comment on his challengers' criticisms of him using government machinery during the campaign period, Anwar says: "You can see for yourself what machinery we are using.
"What's wrong? Why do they want to fight?
"I am here to do my own work. I am working in Port Dickson on national programmes. I don't care what they say."
Meanwhile, when asked whether he would cooperate with police in their investigation on a new sodomy allegation, Anwar just walks into a lift and closes the door.
Police recorded a statement from Umno supreme council member Lokman Noor Adam on Wednesday over the allegation.
Anwar has dismissed Lokman's claim as slander.
Dr M's 'star power' to attract voters
2.12pm: Port Dickson Waterfront – PKR secretary-general Saifuddin Nasution believes Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad's star power will be a draw for outstation voters to come back to vote in full force on Oct 13.
Speaking at a press conference at the Harapan operations room here, he says: "The people of Port Dickson received a jolt of excitement when Mahathir announced he was coming down to campaign in this by-election."
On the alleged use of government machinery when campaigning, Saifuddin adds that after 20 years, the then-opposition had never needed government aid to win an election.
“So there is no excuse (for Harapan to use government machinery) now."
11.15am: Sri Tanjung – Harapan candidate Anwar Ibrahim arrives at the wanton noodle shop where DAP deputy president Gobind Singh Deo has been waiting for over an hour.
Many of the customers there have been waiting patiently for Anwar to arrive, some since the morning.
Anwar orders a glass of ice-blended milk tea and gave a thumbs up after tasting the drink.
He then asks for another glass of milk tea with less sugar, and chats with Gobind about his experience of jogging at the Port Dickson beach.
Orang asli: Let's have a telco tower, boost connectivity
11.30am: Kg Bukit Kepong - Meanwhile according to Bernama today, the Orang Asli in 108-year-old Kg Bukit Kepong in the south of Port Dickson hope for better connectivityas they are experiencing poor network.
"It makes communications with the outside world difficult especially during emergencies. Let us have a telecommunications tower here to boost further internet access and coverage. It is a problem we've faced for a long time despite repeatedly raising it.
"We hope the government will build a telecommunications tower because the village has internet access and communications problems," he is reported telling the news agency today.
Gobind joins PD campaign
9.30am: Sri Tanjung – Communications and Multimedia Minister Gobind Singh Deo arrives in Port Dickson to campaign for his "good friend" Anwar Ibrahim and allies in Pakatan Harapan.
Gobind denies that he is in Port Dickson because of Anwar's complaint about slow internet speed in the constituency, stressing that his ministry has tried to make changes to internet speed and pricing for the whole country for the past four months.
He adds that the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) will make a special announcement on internet prices tomorrow.
When asked if his ministry would look at Port Dickson's internet issues, in particular, he says: "I thought you said that the minister cannot come here to make any announcement which affects Port Dickson, because there is an election going on."
"No, the press must take a step back, listen and look at where we are coming from... we have always been united and always supportive of our friends in any elections.
"We are all here to campaign for our close friend Anwar. He is my good friend and I am not here to support him as a minister but as Gobind Singh Deo. I am also, of course, MP for Puchong."
Anwar defends AirAsia boss over election stunt
8.50am: Linggi – Harapan candidate Anwar Ibrahim comes to the defence of Air Asia boss Tony Fernandes over the latter's controversial move of ferrying then prime minister Najib Abdul Razak in a BN-themed plane prior to the 14th general election.
Anwar tells a crowd of over 350 people at a ceramah here last night that Fernandes is a good businessperson, but was not as good when it came to politics.
"I told him that next time... just focus on your business, leave politics to me," Anwar says.
Nazari welcomes 10th grandchild
8am: Port Dickson - PAS candidate Mohd Nazari Mokhtar is now a grandfather of 10.
His second daughter gives birth to a girl at KPJ Selangor Specialist Hospital today.
His campaign team says the candidate had emptied his schedule in the evening to visit his daughter and granddaughter.
Nazari, however, will be back tonight at a carnival event organised by PAS.
12.00am: Linggi - Pakatan Harapan's candidate Anwar Harapan proposes that the military band perform in Port Dickson beach on a weekly basis to attract tourists.
"I will propose to the armed forces to have weekly performances every Saturday and Sunday evening, it is a good culture," he tells some 350 people at a ceramah in Linggi.
"The army band is good and performs everywhere. However, the people in Port Dickson rarely hear it," he says. -Mkini
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