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CAMERON POLLS | Transport Minister Anthony Loke has denied that the visits by Pakatan Harapan ministers to Cameron Highlands were a misuse of government machinery to campaign for the upcoming by-election.
Responding to a criticism by Bersih chairperson Thomas Fann that the ministers' descent constitutes an abuse of government resources, Loke questioned as to what resources were misused.
"What did we abuse? Did we give any promise or sweetener? I went to Cameron Highlands yesterday in my capacity as the transport minister. The trip has nothing to do with the by-election.
"It just happens that there is a by-election. The trip has been planned for some time. It can't be (that) just for a by-election, we stop all activities and work.
“The people are expecting us to solve their problems, as a minister," Loke told reporters after attending an event in Bangsar, Kuala Lumpur, today.
He explained that his trip was planned as early as October last year, but he could only make it yesterday, as he had a packed schedule until the end of last year.
The DAP lawmaker said that the people cannot wait until the by-election is over for their problems to be solved.
"I went there just to listen, to address the problems they face. We (Harapan ministers) did not promises anything, or announce any projects to fish for votes for Harapan.
"In fact, during the dialogue with industry players in Camerons, I asked the potential candidate (M Manogaran) not to turn up - I purposely asked him to not show up. You can check with any of them, my event was published on my Facebook page," he said.
Speaking to Malaysiakini yesterday, Fann had decried Harapan's "subtle campaigning", which he said, created an unequal playing field for candidates.
“If the by-election hadn’t been called, would they have gone up (to Cameron Highlands)? Or have they pre-planned this? It is very doubtful (that they have).
“All these visits and attention were because the by-election was called. And this was done not in their capacity as a party (member), but in their capacity as the government," he had said.
Aprt from Loke, Harapan lawmakers who had recently held ministerial events in Cameron Highlands were Deputy Prime Minister Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail, National Unity and Social Harmony Minister P Waythamoorthy, Human Resources Minister M Kulasegaran as well as Water, Land and Natural Resources Minister Dr Xavier Jayakumar.
A tight race is expected in the upcoming by-election as BN has won Cameron Highlands in the last two general elections with slim majorities.
This will also be the first by-election, out of the four held since GE14 so far, which is located in a BN-held state and with an incumbent from the coalition - MIC vice-president C Sivarraajh.
The by-election was triggered when the Election Court declared the seat vacant after determining that vote-buying during GE14 had led to Sivarraajh's win in GE14.
Aside from Manogaran, disputed MyPPP president M Kayveas has announced his intention to stand in the by-election, while BN is expected to name its candidate on Thursday.
- Mkini
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