DAY 6 | It's day six of campaigning for the six state elections.
News reports from the ground.
Key highlights
Don't politicise 'Allah' issue, PM warns
Candidates with influenza symptoms advised to wear masks
Syed Saddiq invites PKR, PAS Youth chiefs to debate
Rapt crowd at ceramah by Noh Omar’s daughter
10.35pm: Permatang, Selangor - Over 80 supporters are at an event by Perikatan Nasional’s Permatang candidate Nurul Syazwani Noh in Kampung Sungai Yu.
Nurul’s father, former Tanjong Karang MP and former Umno Selangor chief Noh Omar, as well as Selangor PAS secretary-general Roslan Shahir Mohd Shahir, are seen at the event.
In her speech, she tells Umno supporters not to be frustrated if they can’t vote for BN in the coming state polls, and to vote for her instead.
“Don’t be frustrated, we heard there are voters who are frustrated because they can’t vote for BN this time.”
Nurul, who is a lawyer, urges Umno members vote for her and, in return, she will repay the favour back to her supporters.
Govt approves RM7m for N Sembilan Orang Asli
10.25pm: Jeram Padang, Negeri Sembilan - The government has approved in principal an allocation of almost RM7 million to build a bridge and provide clean water to several Orang Asli villages in the constituency.
This is according to the federal government’s Orang Asli Entrepreneurs and Economic Development Secretariat chairperson Ramli Mohd Nor.
Bernama reports he announced the initiatives in a speech at an event at Kampung Orang Asli Panchor, with Jempol MP Shamshulkahar Mohd Deli and Jeram Padang Umno candidate Mohd Zaidy Abdul Kadir also in attendance.
The latter is in a wheelchair due to a broken leg sustained in a road accident on Monday.
The report says the proposed bridge will link the village with Kampung Batu Peti, which would shorten the journey between the two villages by 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, water development plans will supply clean water to Kampung Sungai Kelebang, Jeram Padang, Sungai Raya, Temarom, and Lubuk Temengalan.
Newcomer Mohd Zaidy is in a straight fight against Perikatan Nasional’s Surash Sreenivasan in the constituency. Surash contested the seat as an independent in 2018 but lost to BN’s Manickam Letchuman by 1,062 votes.
Syed Saddiq invites PKR, PAS Youth chiefs to debate
9.30pm: Muda president Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman has invited PKR Youth chief Adam Adli Abdul Halim and PAS Youth chief Ahmad Fadhli Shaari for a debate.
The Muar MP said this in welcoming the proposal by Economy Minister Rafizi Ramli for more open debates on issues concerning the country.
“Two young leaders from parties that I respect. I agree that we need more room and a chance for our country’s leaders to debate, compete, and clash.
“By presenting ideas, solutions, and policies to solve problems, especially the ones concerning the youth,” Syed Saddiq wrote on social media.
He added that it is about time for everyone to celebrate the debate culture for better policy and solution-centric politics in the country.
“I believe my invitation will be accepted and we will meet on the debate stage to discuss the direction of our youth.”
Harapan Perai candidate says well-received on campaign trail
6.35pm: S Sundarajoo, the Pakatan Harapan candidate for the Perai state seat in Penang, says he has not faced any issues in his campaign trail so far.
“I have campaigned daily for the last six days and I have been accepted well (by the electorate); maybe because they know DAP’s track record in administering the constituency.
“I believe those who want good governance will vote for Harapan in the election,” Utusan Malaysia quoted the 61-year-old businessperson saying when met during campaigning today.
Sundarajoo was a controversial pick for the seat as he was chosen over the incumbent P Ramasamy, who is also the caretaker deputy chief minister II.
On Aug 12, he will go against Perikatan Nasional (PN) candidate R Sivasuntaram, Muda’s H Vikneswary, and independent David Marshel.
Marshel, a former Seberang Perai city councillor, quit DAP following Ramasamy’s exclusion and declared he would run for the Perai state seat.
Syazwani Noh - new face but no stranger to politics
5.15pm: Permatang, Selangor - PN’s Permatang candidate Nurul Syazwani Noh is no stranger to politics as she had been following her father, former minister Noh Omar, to events since young.
"Since I was seven, I have been accompanying my father to attend programmes with the community and political campaigns, and that experience has become an advantage when being nominated for the Permatang seat," she tells Sinar Harian yesterday.
She also mentions that her father had always provided her with support and advice, and she hopes to continue her father’s legacy in serving the people.
"In politics, initially, I was working on my own, as my father wanted to see how serious I was, and Alhamdulillah, he believes in me and provides 100 percent support,” she says, adding that he is also assisting in her campaigning.
Candidates with influenza symptoms advised to wear masks
3pm: Putrajaya - Candidates and election officials involved in the six state elections are encouraged to observe precautionary measures by wearing face masks and exercising social distancing if they have influenza symptoms.
Health Minister Dr Zaliha Mustafa says wearing a face mask while campaigning can curb the spread of infectious diseases.
She also urges candidates and election officials to swiftly see a doctor, if they have symptoms.
“Among the symptoms of influenza are fever, body aches, frequent sneezing, runny nose, sore throat, cough and headache,” she tells a media conference after a meeting with the Joint Council of the President and the Secretary-General of the Health Ministry’s Trade Unions today, according to Bernama.
Zaliha says this in response to media reports of overcrowding in private hospitals due to the increase in influenza patients.
Lau soldiers on despite snub, not taking it to heart
1.30pm: Bayan Lepas, Penang - Gerakan president Dominic Lau says he is not disheartened by the incident where he was unwelcomed at a Perikatan Nasional ceramah.
Lau views the incident as a challenge in the political world and it does not affect his focus on continuing the campaign to ensure PN's victory in Bayan Lepas.
He says this when met in Kampung Bagan, Teluk Kumbar, where he emphasises that the incident did not affect his reputation as the Gerakan chief and the top leadership of PN, Utusan reports.
Meanwhile, Penang PAS secretary Iszuree Ibrahim states that he does not wish to comment further on the viral video.
Iszuree adds that PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang has advised him to continue the struggle.
Sanusi knows where Indonesian tycoon wants to mine
12pm: Caretaker Kedah menteri besar Muhammad Sanusi Md Nor claims to know where an Indonesian oil magnate - allegedly linked to Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim - wants to dig for rare earth materials in Kedah.
Berita Harian quotes him as saying at a ceramah in Jitra that the Indonesian tycoon had filed a request for a mining site in Kedah, but it was turned down as it did not meet requirements.
Sanusi has been under attack by Home Minister Saifuddin Nasution Ismail for his alleged involvement in illegal rare earth mining in the state.
The caretaker menteri besar claims that Putrajaya is trying to usurp the state's authority over land and mining rights to take Kedah's rare earth for itself.
"If you want to take the rare earth elements (mining rights too) no way, there will be a fight," he says.
Gerakan should withdraw from state polls, says Chow
10.30am: Penang - Gerakan should withdraw from the election now if it still has dignity, urges Penang Pakatan Harapan chairperson Chow Kon Yeow.
"If Gerakan still has any dignity, they should withdraw from the election to protest against the extreme behaviour of the PAS," Oriental Daily quotes the Penang caretaker chief minister as saying yesterday.
Chow was asked to comment on a statement from Penang Gerakan chief Oh Tong Keong, who claimed that all its Penang elected representatives will resign en masse if alcohol and gambling are banned in the state if Perikatan Nasional comes into power.
"Poor Gerakan thinks they can play a balancing role against PAS within PN, but in reality, they are powerless," Chow has said.
Chow’s remark does not sit well with his contender in Padang Kota, Gerakan Tanjong chief H'ng Khoon Leng. He slams Chow for interfering in Gerakan matters.
Don't politicise 'Allah' issue, PM warns
8.40am: Seremban, Negeri Sembilan - Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim has reiterated his firm stand for all parties not to politicise the issue relating to the use of the word ‘Allah’.
He says the Sultan of Selangor Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah, as the chairperson of the National Council for Islamic Religious Affairs Malaysia, had also reminded him (Anwar) of this recently.
“We will try to streamline this Allah issue to be brought to the Conference of Rulers, and any decision must not be exploited as a political issue, this is His Royal Highness’ order.
“So, do not politicise the Allah issue because the rulers will be streamlining the matter based on proposals by the federal government.
“What is Muhyiddin (Yassin) saying? Still using the Allah issue... they are openly defying the rulers," Bernama quotes Anwar as saying at the Paroi constituency Jelajah Perpaduan ceramah in Taman Tuanku Jaafar last night.
Support for Harapan-BN alliance at its best - Rafizi
8.30am: Shah Alam - The voters’ support for Pakatan Harapan and BN alliance in Selangor, Negeri Sembilan, and Penang is currently at its best, claims PKR deputy president Rafizi Ramli.
According to a Bernama report, he says the conclusion was derived based on information from various sources as well as reports from the field that he received, thus refuting the claims that the three Harapan-administered states will fall after the state elections as announced by Perikatan Nasional.
"I dare say that the collapse of the government after the state polls as bandied by the PN leadership will not happen because the reports we have received showed the opposite," Rafizi said while campaigning during the Jelajah Perpaduan ceramah at Sungai Kandis last night.
Umno deputy chief ill, urges supporters to continue campaign
8am: Rantau, Negeri Sembilan - BN’s Rantau candidate Mohamad Hasan is taking a break from campaigning after coming down with the flu.
“(I’m having) a bad cough and a fever. The doctor told me not to go out because it could spread. For the next two, three days, the doctor has asked me to rest,” he says.
Speaking between sniffles in a video last night but still wearing his blue BN shirt, Mohamad apologises to his supporters for being unable to meet them and urged party workers to keep campaigning in his absence.
On Sunday, the Association of Private Hospitals Malaysia confirmed reports that many hospitals are reaching capacity due to the spread of the influenza virus and a shortage of nurses. This has reportedly caused delays in admissions.
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