AMANAH ‘SECRETLY’ FIELDING CANDIDATE? SOME PAKATAN LEADERS NOT HAPPY WITH DR STRERAM? SURE KHAIRY – BUT EVEN MORE IN UMNO WAITING TO TOPPLE MAT HASAN – PERHAPS INCLUDING YOUR FACTION?

RANTAU — Some Pakatan Harapan (PH) leaders are not too happy with their Rantau candidate Dr S. Streram, Umno’s Khairy Jamaluddin alleged today after it was revealed that an independent candidate came from Parti Amanah Negara (Amanah).

Although the Rembau MP did not name names, Khairy said that PH senior leaders such as PKR leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail, Amanah deputy president Datuk Seri Mujahid Yusof Rawa and Negri Sembilan DAP chief Anthony Loke were among others who attended this morning’s nomination to support Dr Streram.

“I managed to chat with PH leaders at nomination this morning. Even some of them said they were not really happy with their candidate,” Khairy said at a ceramah at Pekan Sagga here today.

Khairy also commented on independent candidate Mohd Nor Yassin, saying that the latter’s candidacy could indicate Amanah’s lack of confidence in Dr Streram as well.

“Usually when you have one candidate (representing your party), you do not need a second candidate in a by-election. Maybe Amanah was not happy with PKR’s candidate, they secretly fielded their own candidate,” Khairy said.

This follows after it was revealed that Mohd Nor was a new Amanah member. However, he was expelled from the party within hours of entering the by-election.

Khairy also warned the 100 or so Umno members of that the Rantau by-election was a crucial battleground as it determined the “dignity” of Umno and stated that PH intended to “cut off the head” of Umno by winning the race.

Khairy then stressed that Rantau voters must ensure that three-time incumbent Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan wins come polling day on April 13.

“I also want for Rantau to be a hattrick for BN (Barisan Nasional). It means that we would score three goals or wins in a row,” he added, referring to BN’s victories in the Cameron Highlands and Semenyih by-elections.

In his speech, Khairy, who is also the Shadow Finance Minister, said the mood of the people has swung favourably to BN following those two races because of PH’s alleged failure to follow through on their pledges and unpopular decisions to cut various aid programmes to the bottom 40 per cent of income earners.

MALAY MAIL