CAMERONS POLLS DAY 1 | With the nomination period over and a total of four candidates announced for the Cameron Highlands by-election this morning, contenders are now hitting the campaign trail.
Pakatan Harapan has a long list of events today while BN is choosing to campaign more discreetly, with only one function that is open to the press.
Malaysiakini brings you live reports of the campaigning on the ground.
KEY HIGHLIGHTS
- Gerakan issues show cause letter to BN candidate proposer
- Noh brings up Adib's death on campaign trail
- Najib's son joins campaign trail
- Johor Orang Asli group backs Harapan
- Bersih organises clean election pledge
- Harapan and BN diverge on campaigning style
Thank you for following our live coverage
11.59pm - Thank you for following our live coverage of the first day of the campaigning period for the Cameron Highlands by-election. Reporting by Geraldine Tong and Annabelle Lee.
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Gerakan issues show cause letter to BN candidate proposer
5.30pm: Gerakan president Dominic Lau has criticised the party's Cameron Highlands division chairperson Ho Yip Kap for acting as the proposer for BN candidate Ramli Mohd Nor during the nomination process this morning.
“The party leadership was never consulted prior to his action. Ho’s action was unauthorised by the party and therefore it does not represent Gerakan,” Lau said in a statement today.
Lau said he has instructed the party’s disciplinary committee to issue a show cause letter to Ho (right in photo) and demand an explanation, as this was considered a serious breach of party discipline.
“At this stage, we have not announced our support towards any of the candidates in the by-election.
“This is to enable us to have more time to observe their proposals and commitment then only direct our support towards the candidate that we think is the best for the people of Cameron Highlands.
“In this sense, Ho has personally pre-empted party decision and undermined the interest of the party in his action in the nomination process earlier today,” Lau said.
Noh brings up Adib's death on campaign trail
3.30pm: Pos Mensun - Umno supreme council member Noh Omar raises firefighter Muhammad Adib Mohd Kassim's death on the campaign trail.
Noh says the federal government has failed to take any action following Adib's death. He believes BN candidate and former top cop Ramli Nor Mohd can fight to rectify that in Parliament.
"If the government tries to flip-flop on the answer, I believe Ramli can stand up and say that this is not right," Noh tells a crowd of about 300 people in Ramli's home village.
Adib died on Dec 17 last year after succumbing to injuries sustained on duty during a riot outside the Sri Maha Mariamman Temple in Subang Jaya on Nov 27.
Najib's son joins campaign trail
3pm: Pos Mensun - Nizar Najib, the eldest son of former prime minister Najib Abdul Razak, has joined the BN campaign trail.
While he did not speak, he was introduced as one of the VIPs at an event with locals in the hometown of BN’s Cameron Highlands candidate Ramli Mohd Nor.
Other VIPs include former ministers Noh Omar and Nazri Abdul Aziz.
In attendance are about 300 Semai Orang Asli, including many young children, who run around waving BN paraphernalia.
Kampung Mensun is about 30 minutes from the Tanah Rata town centre.
Johor Orang Asli group backs Harapan
2.05pm - The Johor Orang Asli Network (Jpoaj) calls on orang asli voters in Cameron Highlands to support Pakatan Harapan candidate M Manogaran.
In a statement, Jpoaj chairperson Dolah Tekoi says their support for Harapan's candidate is necessary to give mandate to the Harapan government to assist their community, particularly on issues of long-term development and struggle for customary land rights.
"The Orang Asli must give the space and opportunity for the Harapan government to draft a comprehensive action plan in resolving customary land rights issues, as they are currently in the process of doing so through a series of ongoing consultation with Orang Asli leaders, NGOs and other stakeholders.
"Although there is still a lot that must be done, but in order to open up the discussion space, the Orang Asli must vote for a government that is willing to hear our voice, to facilitate further actions," says Dolah.
Bersih organises clean election pledge
1.35pm: Heritage Hotel - Electoral watchdog Bersih is also holding a press conference, calling on all candidates to sign a pledge for clean campaigning.
The group says Harapan's M Manogaran and independent candidates Wong Seng Yee and Sallehudin Ab Talib have agreed to sign the pledge.
However, it says BN's Ramli Nor Mohd has yet to give his commitment, who said he has a busy campaign schedule today.
The press conference was delayed for almost an hour due to heavy traffic congestion.
Cameron Highlands usually sees heavy traffic on weekends, but the by-election has aggravated the traffic situation as party campaigners from across the country descend on the holiday destination.
Harapan hits the ground running, BN does low-key campaigning
1.00pm - Pakatan Harapan has hit the ground running after the end of the nomination process earlier today with five campaigns events planned for the day.
Harapan leaders such as DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng and DAP deputy chairperson Gobind Singh Deo attended a santai programme immediately after the nomination this morning.
There are also two 'kopitiam talks' in the Ringlet area later today, after which their candidate M Manogaran will head to the Jelai state constituency for another two programmes tonight.
Meanwhile, BN has only revealed one programme for their candidate today.
The BN candidate Ramli Mohd Nor will visit his own village of Pos Menson this afternoon, along with Umno acting president Mohamad Hassan.
