In Kimanis campaign, Terengganu MB stresses no evidence to show PAS is extreme

KIMANIS POLLS | Terengganu Menteri Besar Ahmad Samsuri Mokhtar, who is also PAS vice-president, today hit the campaign trail for BN in the Kimanis by-election.

However, he had to deflect Warisan's attacks that BN, and in particular Umno, has veered towards a religious hardline position with its alliance with PAS.

Speaking to journalists after campaigning at a street market in Membakut, Kimanis today, Samsuri (above) dismissed the attacks as mere rhetoric.

"Anyone can engage in rhetorics but rhetorics without evidence goes against the concept of democracy.

"PAS is a registered and legal party under the Federal Constitution and has never been charged with any offences involving extremism.

"People who claim as such (that PAS is extreme) is the norm during election time. It can never be proven in any court," he said.

Sabah Chief Minister Mohd Shafie Apdal (photo), who heads Warisan, had during the Kimanis campaign zoomed in on Umno's cooperation with PAS under Muafakat Nasional.

Warisan's ally Upko, led by its president Madius Tangau, had also launched similar attacks against BN and PAS during a Christmas event at Membakut on Jan 4.

The Kimanis by-election campaign officially began on Jan 4 and voters will go to the polls on Jan 18.

The by-election was called after the Election Court voided the Kimanis election results on grounds that Election Commission (EC) failed to comply with election procedures.

Umno's Anifah Aman had won Kimanis with a razor-thin 156-vote majority in the last general election. He garnered 11,942 votes to Warisan's Karim Buang's 11,786 votes.

A third party, Harapan Rakyat's Jaafar Ismail, received 1,300 votes.

Anifah, who had since quit Umno to become an independent, decided to sit out the current by-election.

Umno is represented by Mohamad Alamin, who is contesting under BN's banner, in this by-election while Karim is again representing Warisan. - Mkini