Campaigning amid Covid-19 pandemic is challenging - BN candidate

CHINI POLLS | Barisan Nasional (BN) candidate Mohd Sharim Md Zain has acknowledged that being a candidate for the Chini by-election amid the Covid-19 pandemic is extremely challenging.

Mohd Sharim (above), who has been involved in election machinery before, said the campaign had to be run under the ‘new normal’ with strict adherence to the set standard operating procedure (SOP).

He said that previously, election campaigns were all about meeting and greeting the voters. However, he now had to revamp the campaign schedule with a more moderate but effective approach.

In this regard, he apologised to the voters in the Chini constituency, especially those who knew him, for not being able to shake hands during the campaign period in order to comply with the special SOP set by the Election Commission (EC).

“Today was the first series of my campaign to meet voters. At first, because I am so used to meeting people, especially those who I know, I shook hands with them.

“But when I was reminded (of the SOP), I conformed to it right away, and we also informed voters that I had to obey the SOP. So I’m sorry for that, as it’s not because I don't want to (shake hands)," Mohd Sharim said when met after a campaign programme at Felda Chini Timur 1 last night.

A three-way contest

The Chini by-election is being held following the death of assemblyperson Abu Bakar Harun, 60, at the Kuala Lumpur Hospital (HKL) on May 7, due to a heart attack.

In the last general election (GE14), Abu Bakar defended the Chini state seat with a 4,622 vote-majority after securing 10,027 votes, defeating PAS candidate Mohd Fadhil Noor Abdul Karim (5,405 votes) and PKR's Mohamad Razali Ithnain (1,065 votes).

The by-election this time involves a three-way contest involving Mohd Sharim, 41, and two independent candidates, Tengku Zainul Hisham Tengku Hussin, 64, and Mohd Shukri Mohd Ramli, 49.

The EC has set June 30 for early voting, while polling day is on July 4. This is the 11th by-election called following GE14, and the first since the implementation of the movement control oder on March 18.

The Chini state constituency, one of four under the Pekan parliamentary constituency, has 20,990 registered voters, comprising 20,972 ordinary voters and 18 early voters.

- Bernama