Kit Siang: Fielding Ramli tips scales in favour of BN

CAMERON POLLS | The odds of winning the Cameron Highlands by-election were now against Pakatan Harapan, now that BN will field Ramli Mohd Noor as their candidate, said DAP parliamentary leader Lim Kit Siang.

In a statement today, Lim acknowledged that Ramli had an illustrious career as a police officer and that he was one of the most celebrated sons of Cameron Highlands.

In view of this, Lim said Harapan vote canvassers will have to be "miracle workers" in order to surpass the "miracle" of the 14th general election, which saw Harapan beating BN at the national polls, but not in Cameron Highlands.

However, Lim said it was "sad and most unfortunate" that BN and Umno did not field an Orang Asli candidate of Ramli's stature when they were in power.

"(Had Ramli been a BN lawmaker) he could go on to become a deputy minister or even a full minister to end the neglect and marginalisation of the Orang Asli community and bring them to the national mainstream," wrote Lim.

Lim said that in the past, the federal government's Orang Asli Development Department (Jakoa) could not break the cycle of poverty and neglect faced by the Orang Asli community.

"Even in Jakoa, an Orang Asli has only become Jakoa director-general for the past eight months, while less than 22 percent of the Jakoa staff are from the Orang Asli community," he said.

Ramli, 61, who retired as an assistant commissioner, is the highest ranking police officer of Orang Asli origins in history. He grew up in Pos Mensun, Cameron Highlands.

It is believed that he is not a member of any of the BN component parties.

MIC has traditionally represented BN in Cameron Highlands during the general elections. It is understood that the party had chosen to forgo the seat this time around in an one-off arrangement.

 - Mkini