Pakatan Harapan's candidate for the Rantau by-election, Dr S Streram, has dismissed as hoax a social media message that claims he is seeking public donation to contest.
"There are irresponsible quarters who deliberately want to tarnish my name after I was nominated to contest in the Rantau state seat again.
"I'm disappointed that there are parties out there using social media to spread slander and false information which can poison voters' minds," he said in a statement today.
This is in reference to the message spread via social media since yesterday that Streram was seeking "sponsors" to contest in the April 13 by-election.
The said message reads: "I would like to thank the PKR leadership for nominating me as the candidate. I have used up all my money to 'fight' Tok Mat (incumbent Mohamad Hasan) and I do not have enough money to face this by-election. YB (Edmund R) Santhara (Kumar) (Segamat MP) has also tarnished my name. I cannot ask for money from any loan sharks. If anyone can sponsor me for this by-election, please bank in into my account and WhatsApp your name to me. When I win, I will give you projects, but don't ask me for your money back."
Recently, Streram had denied allegations by his PKR colleague Santhara, that he owed the latter RM62,000.
In a police report, Santhara claimed that Streram had asked him for the money in January last year to help pay his daughter's college registration fees.
Streram, who is also Rembau PKR deputy chief, urged the public to not fall easily for fake news peddled during the election season.
'Not discouraged'
In other development, Rembau PKR chief R Thangam said he was not disappointed for not being fielded as the candidate for the Rantau polls.
Instead, he pledged to fight for PKR's win in the state seat.
"There is nothing to complain about regarding the choice of candidate. The leadership must have made the right choice (in fielding Streram). What matters now is Harapan's victory," he told Malaysiakini when contacted.
He stressed that he joined PKR in 1999 after being influenced by the struggles of party president Anwar Ibrahim, and thus, the party mattered more to him than its internal matters.
According to Thangam, he convened a meeting of the Rembau PKR committee members after Streram's candidacy was announced.
"Harapan's victory is all that matters now. We have already lost in two places (Cameron Highlands and Semenyih). So, the Rantau state seat is extremely important for Harapan," he said.
Streram was fielded by PKR in the Rantau state seat in last year's general election, but he was stopped from submitting his nomination papers by an Election Commission officer - resulting in the no-contest win for Mohamad, who is also acting Umno president.
Last November, the Special Election Court nullified Mohamad's victory and ordered a re-election. - Mkini
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