SG KANDIS POLLS | Former prime minister Najib Abdul Razak insisted that DAP's Iskandar Puteri MP Lim Kit Siang had linked Islam to kleptocracy.

He said this in reference to Lim's statement titled: "Sungai Kandis by-election a crucial test whether Najib has succeeded in equating Islam with kleptocracy in Malaysia". Lim had denied Najib's claim. 

"The headline clearly shows that Kit Siang has tried to link Islam with kleptocracy. What he is saying is that if BN wins the by-election, it means that Islam is equal to kleptocracy.

"On the other hand, Kit Siang also clearly implied that Islam is not equal to kleptocracy only if Harapan wins the by-election.

"If this is not what he means then what does he mean by making this link?"

Najib questioned whether there was a need for Lim to make such a link in the first place.

"Kit Siang should just apologise and no longer attempt to make such a link to Islam or to any religion that is not his own," said the Pekan MP.

In contrast, Najib said BN had run a clean campaign in the Sungai Kandis by-election.

"I do not wish to prolong this issue any more as BN has been focused on running a clean, healthy and peaceful campaigning where, unlike others, we do not have to resort to bribing voters with free durian or illegally using school facilities for campaigning.

"However, Kit Siang's ridiculous attempt to link Islam with kleptocracy is very regrettable," he said.

Lim, in the statement Najib was referring to, had criticised the former prime minister for allegedly playing on race, religion and fear in the Sungai Kandis by-election. 

"Umno lost its unchallenged position as the political party with the majority support of Malay voters in GE14 because there were sufficient Malay voters who were intelligent and sophisticated enough to see through the humbug of such propaganda, and rejected Najib’s vicious and toxic politics.

"They do not want, in particular, to equate Malays and Islam with kleptocracy," Lim had said.

The Aug 4 by-election will be a three-cornered fight between BN's Lokman Noor Adam, PKR's Zawawi Ahmad Mughni and independent candidate K Murthy. PAS is sitting out of this by-election.

In the May 9 general election, PKR won Sungai Kandis by a 12,480-vote majority, with its candidate Mat Shuhaimi Shafiei garnering 23,998 votes.

Umno's Kamaruzzaman Johari obtained 11,518 votes while PAS' Mohd Yusof Abdullah garnered 7,573 votes. PRM's Hanafiah Husin received 76 votes.

Mat Shuhaimi passed away from cancer on July 2.