DR Mahathir Mohamad is optimistic that Pakatan Harapan (PH) can reel in the Malay vote and secure victory in the upcoming Semenyih by-election.
The PH chairman said Malay support for the pact in Semenyih is still strong but their votes may be split.
“I think the Malay support is very strong in Semenyih but we have to remember that there will be more than two parties contesting so the Malay votes might be split.
“Of course, that can be bad for some parties but we are convinced that based on our assessment we have a good chance of winning,” he said.
Barisan Nasional’s Ramli Mohd Nor became the new Cameron Highlands MP after getting 12,038 votes last Saturday.
He defeated PH’s M. Manogaran, who received 8,800 votes, and independents Sallehudin Ab Talib (314) and Wong Seng Yee (276). The turnout was 68%.
Ramli’s 3,238-vote majority is a huge increase from the 597-vote majority claimed by MIC’s C. Sivarraajh, who won the seat in the 14th general election.
The victory is credited to PH’s failure to attract Malay votes, which the combined BN and PAS machinery managed to do.
PAS and its president, Abdul Hadi Awang, campaigned hard to help secure Malay and Muslim votes for BN.
In GE14, Sivaraajh won 10,307 votes, Manogaran won 9,710, PAS’ Wan Mahadir Wan Mahmud won 3,587 votes, B. Suresh Kumar of Parti Sosialis Malaysia won 680 votes and Berjasa’s Mohd Tahir Kassim won 81 votes. The turnout then was 79%.
Meanwhile, asked if PH will back Manogaran, who is going to be probed for breaching election laws in the Cameron Highlands polls, Dr Mahathir affirmed that his coalition will abide by the rule of law.
“We will apply the rule of law,” he said.
The Election Commission yesterday lodged a police report against Manogaran, who on Saturday entered the SK Senderut polling centre wearing a shirt with PH’s logo, which the EC said contravened the Election Offences Act.
The report was lodged at the Sg Koyan station by the EC officer in charge of the polling centre in question.
The EC also lodged a report over the setting up of booths by political parties on polling day.
Manogaran, who was escorted out of the polling centre by election officers, has admitted to his mistake.
He said he was in a rush, and had worn the shirt out of habit.
“It was a minor mistake as I wore the same kind of shirt every day and just forgot that it had party logos on it.”
EC chairman Azhar Azizan Harun said the display of party emblems on polling centre grounds is not allowed under election laws, and as such, the commission took action by asking Manogaran to leave.
Pakatan can win Semenyih if govt performs, says Anwar
PAKATAN Harapan can head off the Umno-PAS alliance at the coming Semenyih by-election without resorting to using the race card, said PKR president Anwar Ibrahim.
The state seat, which fell vacant after Selangor assemblyman Bakhtiar Mohd Nor died on January 11, will be the sixth by-election since the May 9 polls last year and Bersatu’s first to contest.
On whether the Umno-PAS alliance will have an impact as they did in the Cameron Highlands by-election last week, Anwar said.
“Temporarily, yes it seems to be that because the Malays feel that we are not catering for their initial problems, particularly price of commodities and price of essential items.
“But I think, contrary to the general perception, it is not right to say that the race card is still too relevant,” he told reporters at an economics forum in Kuala Lumpur today.
Bakhtiar, 57, passed away from a heart attack. Polling for Semenyih will be held on March 2. Nomination day has been set for February 16 and early voting will be on February 26.
Prime Minister and Bersatu chairman Dr Mahathir Mohamad yesterday attributed the coalition’s defeat at Cameron Highlands to Barisan Nasional playing up “racial issues”.
In that election, PH candidate M. Manogaran was trounced by Orang Asli ex-cop Ramli Mohd Noor, who won with a 3,238-vote majority.
Anwar believed the race factor is overplayed in winning support.
“We have to learn not only necessarily from Cameron Highlands but, essentially, people do accept (hold to the view) that the leadership must deliver at least some of its promises, particularly affecting the poorer segment of the community.
“I don’t share this view of a racial divide on the condition that we do serve the people.
“It’s how we deliver and I’m optimistic that we have the right policies, we go down and serve the people, then we would be able to manage.”
– https://www.themalaysianinsight.com/s
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