Sign truce with me and I'll slay Harapan for you - Kayveas to BN

CAMERON POLLS | As BN leaders mull either an MIC or Umno candidate for the coming Cameron Highlands by-election, disputed MyPPP president M Kayveas says backing him for the seat is the only way the coalition can win.

“My suggestion is to agree to me as the candidate and work with me.

"Because of this infighting, they are going to contribute an additional seat for Pakatan Harapan in Parliament.

“They should agree on a neutral candidate, which is me,” he told Malaysiakini today.

Kayveas reasoned that an Umno candidate in Cameron Highlands would be rejected by Indian voters, while a MIC candidate would not only split the Indian vote, but also turn away Malay voters – particularly Umno members.

The former deputy minister announced on Sunday that he will stand as an independent in the Jan 26 by-election. Nomination takes place on Jan 12.

Harapan has named deputy Pahang DAP chief M Manogaran as its candidate.

‘Uncle Bond’ to the rescue

“If Umno and MIC work with me, we can take on Harapan... no problem, we can win. If they don’t, 100 percent they will lose. It will be a big advantage to DAP (without me).

“This is because (with me) we will have Malay votes, Indian votes and Orang Asli votes on our side.

“The Orang Asli have always been good with me, I am the ‘Uncle Bond’ to the Orang Asli,” he said, referring to his moniker.

Based on figures from the 14th general election, the Cameron Highlands electorate is 34 percent Malay, 30 percent Chinese, 15 percent Indian and 22 percent Orang Asli.

Kayveas argued that BN had deprived him the opportunity to contest the seat during GE14. 

Despite his intense lobbying for the seat, he said, BN eventually decided to field MIC's C Sivarraajh instead.

“Right from the beginning they know I wanted to be the candidate, but they deprived me (of it). Now the seat has fallen vacant, why are they fighting?

“They created this problem for me, but I am still a peaceful guy. Just make a truce with me, we can work together,” he said.

The Cameron Highlands by-election was triggered when the Election Court declared the seat vacant after determining that vote-buying had led to Sivarraajh’s win in GE14.

The MIC vice-president won the seat in a five-cornered fight with 10,307 votes, a slim 597-vote majority over Manogaran.

 -Mkini