Rough start for Selangor incumbents as top brass skip campaign launch

Selangor Pakatan Harapan and BN’s campaign launch got off to a poor start with several top leaders from both coalitions cancelling their scheduled appearance.

Both Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, his deputy Ahmad Zahid Hamidi and Transport Minister Anthony Loke - who lead PKR, Umno and DAP respectively - were scheduled to attend the ‘Jelajah Mega Madani’ at Dataran Merdeka Kemerdekaan, Shah Alam tonight, according to flyers for the event.

However, Malaysiakini has learnt that all three of them will be absent, with reports indicating that BN had declined an invitation to be at the event.

As of 9pm, the most prominent figure at the event was Agriculture and Food Industries Minister and Amanah president Mohamad Sabu. Others include incumbent Selangor Menteri Besar Amirudin Shari, DAP deputy chairperson Gobind Singh and PKR Youth chief Adam Adli.

A spokesperson from the Selangor Menteri Besar Office confirmed that the prime minister could not make it as he had to attend to another matter that came at the "last minute".

Malaysiakini learnt that DAP secretary-general Anthony Loke was also originally scheduled to attend but had a change of plans.

However, checks with Zahid's office revealed that the BN chairperson was not scheduled to attend the programme.

Selangor Umno chief Megat Zulkarnain Omardin, who was billed as one of the speakers, was also not in attendance.

‘Not a boycott’

Earlier today, Selangor Umno deputy chief Johan Aziz told Free Malaysia Today that BN will not turn up for the machinery launch.

He denied that BN was boycotting the programme, but just declined to show up as they were merely invited and were not involved in any discussion about the event.

"I can't say that we boycott, but the way they invited us was like we are not important. They just asked us to RSVP to confirm if we are attending... so we told them that we are not going.

"This is their tour event, so let them go ahead with it first," Johan reportedly said.

According to Johan, another special event for Harapan and BN will be held soon.

In contrast, Perikatan Nasional bigwigs such as PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang, Bersatu president Muhyiddin Yassin and Gerakan president Dominic Lau all attended their coalition's Selangor-level campaign launch this afternoon at the IDCC convention centre, a five-minute drive away.

As of 10pm, both Lau and Muhyiddin were spotted at a PN ceramah outside the convention centre. An estimated 1,500 people are in attendance. - Mkini