Karmaine's oil palm comment should not be misunderstood - Muhyiddin

TG PIAI POLLS| Bersatu president Muhyiddin Yassin hopes Tanjung Piai by-election candidate Karmaine Sardini's comment of asking voters to be grateful despite low oil palm fruit prices won't be misunderstood.

Muhyiddin said Karmaine was speaking in the context of a Muslim where its people are asked to be grateful for what they have despite adversity.

"He spoke as a Muslim... Perhaps Karmaine was misinterpreted when he said to be grateful, it meant to be grateful as a Muslim.

"Even when we are poor, we are grateful," he told journalists at the Parliament lobby today..

More importantly, Muhyiddin said, was the government's efforts in helping smallholders to cope with the low oil palm fruit prices.

"The price of oil palm (fruit) and rubber have not gone up and this is not only a problem in Tanjung Piai.

"What is important is the measures that the government wants to take.

At a ceramah yesterday, Karmaine acknowledged complaints that oil palm fruit prices had fallen as low as RM270 a tonne.

However, he said there had been worse situations in the past.

"We should be grateful for RM270. Actually, RM270 is a lot, it's not that little.

"If they have 10 acres, they can get five tonnes of fruits at least... Times that with RM270 and that is over RM1,000.

"If you live in a village you, what do you really have to pay for? If you want to eat vegetables, you can grow it yourselves. You only need to pay for fuel.

"You have to be grateful for this, even if it is just a bit, we can still eat," Karmaine had said.

The opposition have since used the gaffe to attack Karmaine as being disconnected from the rural poor.

The BN candidate is represented by MCA's Wee Jeck Seng, which is also receiving support from PAS.

The other candidates are Berjasa's Badhrulhisham Abdul Aziz, Gerakan's Wendy Subramaniam and independent candidates Ang Chuan Lock and Faridah Aryani Abd Ghaffar.

Campaigning began last Saturday and Tanjung Piai voters will go to the polls on Nov 16. - Mkini