DAY 6 | It’s the sixth day of the 14-day campaigning period for the Kuala Kubu Baharu by-election before voters head to the polls on May 11.
We will report from time to time from the ground.
MIC-DAP’s Unity Night event draws 600
9.20 pm: Rasa, Selangor - MIC and DAP jointly organised a programme for the first time amid the Kuala Kubu Baharu by-election.
The Unity Night Programme in conjunction with Labour Day saw over 600 in attendance.
Earlier at the event, Youth and Sports Minister Hannah Yeoh (above) said MIC and DAP are working together towards national solidarity and unity among the races.
Also present were MIC deputy president M Saravanan, DAP representatives, and MIC leaders.
After 20 years, pothole-riddled road being tarred
9pm: Kerling, Selangor - The state government has commenced tarring a private road, which is riddled with potholes, that connects Bandar Kerling and Lembah Beringin.
“I know the people of Kerling and Lembah Beringin have been asking the government to repair this 3km road,” said Hulu Selangor Pakatan Harapan chairperson Dr Sathia Prakash.
“After more than 20 years, this issue is being resolved. A year after Harapan took over the federal government, the road is being repaired,” he added.
Sathia was speaking at an event with Indian voters, which was also attended by Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s wife, Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail.
Guan Eng: Is commando Chang unpatriotic?
8.15pm: Rasa, Selangor - DAP national chairperson Lim Guan Eng trained his guns on Perikatan Nasional for zeroing in on the Pakatan Harapan candidate’s vernacular education background.
He pointed out that Chang Ming Youn, who was awarded the green beret after completing the army commando training, also studied in a vernacular school.
“Would you call him unpatriotic as well?” Lim asked, stating that harping on the vernacular education issue is “low class”.
PAS information chief Ahmad Fadhli Shaari, who raised the issue, has since clarified that he is not against vernacular schools but was questioning the DAP candidate’s reasons for not listing this information in her profile from the beginning.
Bersatu Youth chief Wan Ahmad Fayhsal Wan Ahmad Kamal also said PN has never discussed closing down vernacular schools.
‘No comment’ - PN candidate on loan shark debt allegation
8pm: Batang Kali, Selangor - Perikatan Nasional candidate Khairul Azhari Saut kept his lips pursed regarding an allegation that he owed close to RM40,000 to loan sharks.
“No comment, thank you. I must be at another location,” Scoop reported him saying when quizzed on the matter after a PN ceramah in Batang Kali last night.
The allegation first surfaced in an April 28 post on X, which has since been deleted, casting aspersion on Khairul’s suitability to be a candidate.
The post also suggested that the candidate, if elected as a state assemblyperson, might “mistakenly” use state funds to settle his debt.
‘Anwar talking like a crazy person’ - MIPP leader
6.45pm: A Malaysian Indian People Party (MIPP) leader has described Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim as being tone-deaf with regard to the plight of the Malaysian Indian community.
“Aiyo, you are talking like a crazy person. It is clear that PMX (Anwar) is tone-deaf when it comes to the grouses of the Indian community,” said MIPP information chief Suthan M in a TikTok video.
“It is embarrassing to hear such a statement from a prime minister who is in power,” he added.
Suthan (above) was responding to Anwar stating that Indians should not be “angry or jealous” about the programmes catering to bumiputera folk.
“Our approach is to assist the bumiputera, but this does not mean it’s a zero-sum game.
“Helping the Malays doesn’t mean we sideline other groups. That’s why I always stress to the Indian community not to be angry or jealous about bumiputera programmes,” he added.
Anwar said the various initiatives to empower Indians prove that his administration has not sidelined them.
However, Suthan, whose party recently joined Perikatan Nasional, said the Indians have never been envious of what has been allocated to other races.
“But we are questioning your sincerity in protecting our community’s basic rights and needs,” he added.
‘Time to teach govt a lesson’
Listing a slew of issues, including the problems faced by the Indians in Kuala Kubu Baharu and no Indian ministers in the cabinet, Suthan said: “Datuk Seri, you have stabbed the Indian community way too much with empty promises and terrible statements that hurt our feelings.
“We have not forgotten. The time has come for the Indian community to teach a lesson to the government,” he added, urging voters to back the PN candidate in the by-election.
The video also featured a clip of using the term “keling” during a programme at Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris (Upsi) in December.
The prime minister later apologised if it caused any misunderstanding, stating he did not mean to insult the community but used the word as a citation from the book “Hikayat Hang Tuah”.
Is PN throwing shade at Harapan’s candidate?
5.05pm: Kuala Kubu Baharu, Selangor - It seems Perikatan Nasional is throwing shade at Pakatan Harapan’s candidate Pang Sock Tao.
Its billboard, which reads “Anak tempatan sedia berkhidmat” (Local man ready to serve), is put right next to Harapan’s billboard.
It’s worth noting that PN’s candidate Khairul Azhari Saut is a local, while Pang is not.
Meanwhile, Harapan’s billboard, printed in three main languages - Bahasa Malaysia, Mandarin, and Tamil - reads, "Reject the green wave, defend Kuala Kubu Baharu".
Wan Azizah: Nobody is perfect but we’re trying
2.30pm: Antara Gapi, Hulu Selangor - In her appeal to Kuala Kubu Baharu voters to cast their ballots for the coalition government’s candidate, Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail concedes that her husband Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s administration is not perfect.
"Correct. We are not perfect. In fact, nobody is. But we are trying to fix our situation,” the former PKR president says at an event in Hulu Selangor.
Wan Azizah says voters should back DAP’s Pang Sock Tao in the May 11 by-election to ensure the continuation of the current government.
“If you want to pick others in the general election, that is up to you.
“But for now, I am requesting that you choose for the (government) to continue with its plans,” adds the Bandar Tun Razak MP.
‘We are committed to campaigning for govt candidate’
10.22am: BN has no qualms in campaigning for coalition government candidate Pang Sock Tao, says secretary-general Zambry Abdul Kadir.
Zambry says this was similar to the Pulai by-election in September last year when BN parties campaigned for a Pakatan Harapan candidate.
“The Pulai by-election candidate was from Amanah and represented the unity government as a whole.
“Therefore, all parties involved are directly committed to ensuring the victory of the unity government’s candidate,” Bernama reports him as saying after attending the Madani Youth Voice programme last night.
Meanwhile, DAP national organising secretary Steven Sim emphasises that Pang’s selection as a candidate reflects the party’s earnestness in showcasing young talent.
“Pang, being a woman, embodies the ability to carry forward the legacy of the late Lee Kee Hiong who previously held the seat.
“We also aim to see young generations as torchbearers and successors… we want to witness the continuity of that legacy,” he says during the event.
'Umno's selfishness drove voters away'
10.15am: Umno’s ‘selfishness’ has driven voters away from the party and to seek shelter under Perikatan Nasional, according to a former party leader.
Former Selangor Umno chief Noh Omar says BN used to be a “home” for all races, with 14 parties under its coalition, led by Umno.
“But today, there are only four parties left (in BN). And we see how the remaining parties are also sidelined.
“MCA is sidelined, and the same with MIC, this is the first time I see there’s no Indian representation in the cabinet,” Noh tells a ceramah in Batang Kali last night.
“Today, the party (Umno) leadership uses the party for personal interests, that’s why we see the voters shift to a new ‘home’ that is PN.
“I urge the Umno grassroots to boldly come with me to shelter under PN,” says the sacked Umno leader.
‘PN out of ideas, reverting to race and religion tactics’
8.30am: Perikatan Nasional is playing the race and religion card, including issues related to vernacular schools, in the Kuala Kubu Baharu by-election because leaders of the coalition are running out of ideas, says PKR communications director Fahmi Fadzil.
Therefore, Fahmi, who is communications minister, urged the PN machinery in the by-election to stop playing up racial sentiments as it is akin to “shooting themselves in the foot”.
“How many PAS leaders send their children to Chinese schools? I understand that even Hadi’s (PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang) grandchildren are sent to Chinese schools,” he tells the media after inaugurating the Pakatan Harapan office in Putrajaya Precinct 11 last night.
Fahmi says Malaysia is a country whose people practised moderation and political parties that play the race card, including the issue of vernacular schools, are immature.
According to Fahmi, the opposition is in “panic mode” because even though it’s already the fifth day of the by-election campaign period, PAS’ main leaders are allegedly still “boycotting” PN.
“We thought those boycotted were Starbucks (and) KFC but it seems PN’s candidate is also boycotted,” he said. - Mkini
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