Be on best behaviour, Umno by-election workers told

 

Barisan Nasional’s Yusri Bakir visiting the Tapah pasar tani today to canvass for votes. (Bernama pic)

PETALING JAYA: 

Umno’s ulama council has advised members who are helping with the campaign for the Ayer Kuning by-election to be on their best behaviour.

In a statement, the council’s deputy chairman, Khairuddin Aman Razali, said the party’s election workers must showcase themselves as exemplary Muslims and Malaysians.

“Be polite and refrain from using foul language.”

The council’s advice for its election workers comes a day after Perikatan Nasional was criticised for using caricatures that appeared to mock Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim and transport minister Loke Siew Fook during the nomination process.

One poster featured Anwar with a distressed expression, surrounded by labels such as “tax hikes”, “subsidy removal”, “medical insurance cost hike” and “ringgit depreciation” in Malay, English and Chinese.

Labelling this as “inappropriate” and “immature”, DAP vice-chairman Nga Kor Ming said the caricatures did nothing to contribute to nation-building and served instead to divert attention from more pressing national issues.

PAS deputy election director Annuar Musa however went on the defence, saying that no laws were violated and denied the caricatures were provocative in nature.

The by-election for the Ayer Kuning state seat on April 26 will see a three-cornered fight involving Barisan Nasional’s Yusri Bakir (of Umno), Perikatan Nasional’s Abd Muhaimin Malek (from PAS) and Parti Sosialis Malaysia’s KS Bawani.

It was called following the death of Umno assemblyman Ishsam Shahruddin on Feb 22. - FMT