Don’t repeat Cameron mistakes in Semenyih, says Amanah

Amanah Youth chief Mohd Sany Hamzah said Pakatan Harapan should learn from the Cameron Highlands by-election and not repeat the incidences where the coalition was caught abusing government machinery.

"I hope all parties contesting in the Semenyih by-election will safeguard their integrity and also stay away from religious and racial sentiments.

"We advise government leaders, be it the prime minister, deputy prime minister or ministers, not to use government machinery, public servants or government vehicles for the campaign.

"If they want to campaign, do so with their personal vehicle. Don't bring government programmes as it is a contest between political parties, not between the government and political parties," he told Malaysiakini.

Hamzah also stressed that the media should give fair coverage to both the government and opposition.

Harapan, which had long criticised the previous BN government of abusing government machinery during elections, were caught in a similar situation in the Cameron Highlands by-election last month.

Among the incidences were a deputy minister borrowing government vehicles for campaigning and a Harapan senator allegedly threatening village chiefs that they may lose their allowances if they did not support the government.

However, the opposition was also actively stirring racial and religious sentiments in their ceramah during the by-election.

Harapan was defeated by BN in the Jan 26 by-election with a 3,238-vote majority.

The Semenyih by-election is set on March 2 following the passing of its Bersatu incumbent Bakhtiar Mohd Nor.

Mohd Sany said the Semenyih by-election should be an arena to exchange ideas on how to improve people's lives.

"Let us debate and come up with ideas on how to develop Semenyih. we reject the politics of race and religion," he said. - Mkini