No big deal, Manogaran says of alleged threat to tok batins

DAP’s M Manogaran says the PKR senator’s alleged threat against the tok batins will not affect his campaign for the Cameron Highlands seat.

CAMERON HIGHLANDS: M Manogaran, the Pakatan Harapan (PH) candidate for the upcoming by-election here, has played down the controversy sparked by a PKR senator who allegedly threatened Orang Asli village chiefs or tok batins, who did not support the ruling coalition.

He said it was not a huge issue based on the response of the tok batins and the Orang Asli voters he had met.

“I visited Orang Asli villages and they did not make a big deal of it.

“While they asked about the issue, I don’t think it will affect the campaign,” he said when asked to comment on the “threat” by Bob Manolan.

He was speaking to reporters after a ceramah at Felda Sungai Koyan 3, Jelai, last night.

Manolan had been reported as saying the Orang Asli village chiefs in Cameron Highlands could lose their salaries and posts if they did not support the federal government.

He was quoted as saying the tok batins were paid by the federal government and, therefore, they must support PH.

“If they don’t support, ‘kita buang’ (we discard them),” he reportedly said.

He has since denied issuing a threat, saying he was addressing village chiefs who were also Umno branch leaders and that they had to choose between acting as a tok batin or as an Umno branch chief.

The parliamentary by-election was triggered after the Election Court revoked the victory of MIC’s C Sivarraajh in the May 9 general election.

The contest, set for Jan 26, will see Manogaran go up against three others – Umno’s Ramli Mohd Nor and independent candidates Sallehudin Ab Talib and Wong Seng Yee. - FMT