GE15 LIVE DAY 8 | Campaigning for the 15th general election is on its eighth day, leaving six more for candidates to make an impression on voters before they go to the polling booth.
Follow our live blog as the Malaysiakini team brings you the news as it takes place.
Cops arrest 2 over media harassment
2pm: Seremban, Negeri Sembilan - Police have reportedly arrested two people believed to be harassing a group of MalaysiaGazette reporters covering the election.
The news portal quotes Negeri Sembilan police chief Ahmad Dzaffir Mohd Yussof saying the two men are believed to be drunk at a restaurant in Seremban Jaya, where they threatened the reporters not to conduct reporting at that location.
One of the reporters was reportedly shoved and had items such as liquor bottles and shoes thrown at the reporter. Police intervened after receiving a police report at 11.50pm last night.
Dzaffir reportedly urges people to cooperate with parties representatives campaigning in the election and media personnel covering the campaign to ensure a smooth and harmonious atmosphere for the election.
'Are you confident rakyat will choose you', GTA man asks PM hopefuls
1pm: Shah Alam - Gerakan Tanah Air’s (GTA) candidate for Shah Alam Muhammad Rafique Rashid Ali says it’s premature for political parties to name their prime ministerial candidates and questions the predictability of them winning their parliamentary seats.
“How confident are you that the rakyat is going to choose you?
“Rule of law dictates that to be PM, one must first win in the election and then ensure they have enough support in Parliament.
“So do not belittle the rakyat’s right to choose their parliamentary candidate,” he adds.
He says although GTA is not naming its prime ministerial candidate, its chairperson Dr Mahathir Mohamad is helming the coalition’s race in GE15.
Be thankful you got a seat to contest, Zahid tells KJ
11.45am: BN chairperson Ahmad Zahid Hamidi says Khairy Jamaluddin should be thankful for being given a chance to contest in the Sungai Buloh parliamentary seat.
Zahid reveals that Khairy was not supposed to be allocated a seat in the first place as his incumbent Rembau seat is being contested by Umno deputy president Mohamad Hasan, who's more "qualified" for the job.
"I gave him (Khairy) a chance to contest in Sungai Buloh, even though it's not his place. As such, he needs to work hard to win the seat and contribute towards BN's ability to form a new federal government," Zahid was quoted telling reporters in Bagan Datuk last night.
Commenting on Khairy's remarks that he hoped to become prime minister one day, Zahid said it’s up to Khairy himself, adding that Khairy should also be accepted by the party and not go against it.
"We can have differences in opinion. But if one is constantly trying to show that one is the best, the cleverest, the wisest, then that's just 'perasan' (self-flattery)," the Umno president said.
Candidates prioritise flood relief efforts over campaign
10.30am: Bukit Mertajam, Penang - Flash floods hit parts of central Seberang Perai after unusually heavy rain yesterday afternoon.
Several campaign events were cancelled while candidates got themselves involved in flood relief efforts in various areas.
According to Penang Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow, who is also a candidate for Batu Kawan, about 30 areas were affected, mainly in Bukit Mertajam and Juru.
The water level in some areas had receded this morning, he says.
Bukit Mertajam incumbent MP Steven Sim in a statement this morning says the rainfall around his constituency for yesterday reached 181mm.
A temporary flood relief centre in Bukit Teh has been opened for seven families comprising 22 victims, he adds.
Rafizi to file reports against PAS leader for ‘hell’ claims
9:50am: Ledang, Johor - PKR deputy president Rafizi Ramli will lodge reports with the police and the Election Commission (EC) over Sik PAS Youth chief Shahiful Nasir's video speech alleging voters would "go to hell" for voting BN and Pakatan Harapan.
Rafizi says he will personally lodge the reports as a reminder to PAS not to politicise religion.
"He (Shahiful) thinks that by inciting and threatening people, by using religion to intimidate the Malays, that he could escape the law," the PKR man says at Mega Harapan ceramah last night.
Rafizi adds that PAS has contradicted itself because, in the past, the Islamist party claimed that a Malay candidate must be favoured over a Chinese one - regardless of their behaviour.
"Now PAS is claiming if Malay voters vote for Harapan and BN they'll go to hell. Well, PAS we have a problem in Sungai Petani because Harapan fielded a Malay candidate. Representing Perikatan Nasional (a coalition PAS is part of) is a Chinese candidate. So how are people meant to choose?"
Harapan's Mohammed Taufiq Johari is up against PN's Robert Ling Kui Ee in a five-cornered fight in Sungai Petani.
PN can’t win all parliamentary seats in T’ganu - Annuar
9.38am: It is “impossible” for Perikatan Nasional (PN) to win all eight parliamentary seats in Terengganu, says incumbent Ketereh MP Annuar Musa.
"I think it is impossible (for PN to take) all parliamentary seats. If you want to find out how 'bad' one is, ask their enemy. If you want to know how 'good' one is, ask their supporters," the communications and multimedia minister told reporters in Hulu Terengganu last night.
He was responding to incumbent Hulu Terengganu MP Rosol Wahid’s remarks on Thursday that PN could win all the parliamentary seats in Terengganu, given PAS' “excellent” track record of administering the state.
Rosol, who quit Umno to join Bersatu in December 2018, had also asked if BN could "only field" Rozi Mamat to face him in Hulu Terengganu.
To this, Annuar said that every candidate fielded by BN/Umno has their own strengths.
Anwar: Ismail Sabri should apologise, not me
9am: Pakatan Harapan chairperson Anwar Ibrahim has told BN’s Ismail Sabri Yaakob that the caretaker prime minister is the one who should apologise to military personnel instead of him.
This is after Anwar alleged yesterday that he has "authentic information" that some military personnel who cast their early votes in Ismail Sabri’s incumbent parliamentary constituency of Bera were paid RM300 each.
In response, Ismail Sabri asked the PKR president to retract his allegation and apologise to the military personnel he had accused. The Election Commission (EC) had also asked Anwar to furnish proof of the alleged bribe to the MACC.
Speaking at a ceramah in Kuantan, Pahang, last night, Anwar said it is Ismail Sabri who should say sorry to the military, as "ships are not ready, helicopters don't get delivered, money for the military get stolen, so it is you (Ismail Sabri) who should apologise."
Candidate’s ex-teacher helps BN man campaign
7am: Tangga Batu, Malacca – BN’s Tangga Batu candidate Lim Ban Hong is getting help campaigning from this former teacher, the 78-year-old Md Shariff A Bakar, who is even allowing BN to hold talks at his home in Kampung Cheng.
“At this age, I shouldn't be campaigning or getting involved in politics but since Lim is my student and the former head prefect of my school, there is no problem for me to help him.
“Tomorrow (Saturday), the campaign to help Lim will be held at my house and I will be the speaker. This is how I can help him as his former teacher,” Bernama quoted him as saying yesterday.
Shariff praises Lim as being strict, fair, humble, and respectful to everyone, and has helped him with various issues since being appointed as head prefect in 1995.
[More to follow] - Mkini
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