CAMERON POLLS | Pakatan Harapan candidate M Manogaran has apologised for his remarks regarding BN fielding an Orang Asli candidate for the Cameron Highlands by-election.

“I wish to unreservedly apologise to all concerned for the statement that I have made.

“I realise that my statement is wrong and I should not have made such a statement. My sincere apologies again to all and I regret my action,” he added in a statement this morning.

Yesterday, Manogaran told Malaysiakini that BN's strategy of fielding former Orang Asli top police officer Ramli Mohd Nor could backfire and the latter would not be able to garner Malay votes.

“BN's calculation is, they think… They really don’t understand. You see, the Malays don't even buy kuih from Orang Asli vendors. I don't think they will go all out and vote for an Orang Asli.

“The Malays will ask 'How come we don’t have a Malay candidate? How come you put an Orang Asli?' Chinese, Indians will not vote for the Orang Asli (as well),” he told Malaysiakini.

Gov't assistance needed

The DAP man also said that Ramli would not get the full support of the Orang Asli community, who make up 22 percent of the total number of voters in the parliamentary constituency.

He argued that unlike the Chinese and middle-class Indians, the Orang Asli needed the federal government's assistance.

“With the Orang Asli (voters), they (BN) are going to say 'Hey, he is your own man. Why don’t you vote for him?'

“We will have to counter it by saying, 'Well, he is an Orang Asli but he is not tested, he has never been exposed to anything... Even if he wins, he will not be in government, so who can deliver especially now that the Orang Asli need basic infrastructure?'

“Who can build roads and give them the facilities they so badly require because they have been neglected for so long?” he added.

Manogaran later explained that he was merely citing perceptions on the ground with regard to the voting pattern.

In the last general election, MIC vice-president C Sivarraajh beat out four contenders in Cameron Highlands, edging past Manogaran by a margin of just 597 votes.

Last November, the Election Court nullified the results due to the commission of corrupt practices and ruled that a by-election be held.

Previously, Malaysiakini reported that MIC had decided to pull out from contesting in its traditional seat and allow the BN leadership to decide on the candidate.