CAMERON POLLS DAY 8 | It is the eighth day of campaigning for the Cameron Highlands by-election.
Malaysiakini brings you live reports of the campaigning on the ground.
KEY HIGHLIGHTS
- Harapan raises RM10k at Cameron fundraising dinner
- Senator apologises to Orang Asli chiefs, again
- Fuziah quashes rumours of tok batin being forced to support Harapan
- MCA predicts farmer will get Chinese votes, Harapan still using 'race-based rhetoric'
- Anwar: Gov't must have clear plans to address Orang Asli issues after by-election
- Harapan plans to 'buy' ICs, 'prevent' Orang Asli from voting, Lokman Adam claims
- Manogaran: Pahang MB misled public on parking fee in highlands
- Future of Muslims, M'sia depends on Umno-PAS cooperation, says Najib
- Najib's strike in 'coconut bowling' lauded as good sign
11.59pm: This concludes our live coverage today of the Cameron Highlands by-election campaign. Follow our live blog again for the ninth day of campaigning tomorrow.
Harapan raises RM10k at Cameron fundraising dinner
10pm: Kampung Raja Multipurpose Hall - Tonight marks the first fundraising dinner held by Pakatan Harapan during the Cameron Highlands by-election campaigning period.
The dinner successfully raises RM10,180, with around 600 people attending the event.
DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng, vice-president M Kula Segaran, political education director Liew Chin Tong, and Youth deputy chief Chiong Yoke Kong are among the event speakers.
Senator apologises to Orang Asli chiefs, again
7pm: Rosa Pasadena Hotel, Brinchang - PKR senator Bob Manolan Mohd has apologised again to the Orang Asli community regarding his remark that the tok batin (Orang Asli village chiefs) in Cameron Highlands could lose their positions and salaries if they do not back Pakatan Harapan in the coming by-election.
According to PKR Pahang chief Fuziah Salleh, Bob Manolan (photo) apologised to the tok batin during a dialogue held here this evening.
He had previously apologised over the incident in a statement issued on Monday.
Fuziah tells Malaysiakini that Dr Md Farid Md Rafik, who is the deputy minister in the Prime Minister's Department in charge of national unity and social wellbeing, and Bersatu senator Isa Ab Hamid also attended the dialogue.
She reiterates that no promises or projects were given during the dialogue session.
"We are there to listen their problems, we did not promise anything," she says.
Fuziah quashes rumours of tok batin being forced to support Harapan
5pm: Rosa Pasadena Hotel, Brinchang - Pahang PKR chief Fuziah Salleh rubbishes rumours circulating on WhatsApp that 10 tok batin (Orang Asli village chiefs) were forced to gather at the Rosa Pasadena Hotel this afternoon to support Pakatan Harapan and had to stay overnight.
She tells Malaysiakini that there was a meeting being organised by the government and the Department of Orang Asli Development (Jakoa) at the hotel, which the tok batin, along with Pakatan Harapan ministers and deputy ministers, had been invited to join.
“This is just a dialogue between the government and the Pahang Orang Asli community. We wanted to understand their problems, so we organised a meeting to listen to their voices,” she says.
Fuziah, who is a deputy minister in the prime minister's department, also clarifies that this is not a campaign event for Pakatan Harapan, and that the Harapan candidate for the Cameron Highlands by-election had not been allowed to join the dialogue.
Meanwhile, she adds that Finance Minister Lim Guan Eng might join the dialogue as well. However, Harapan leaders who are not in the government are not allowed to participate in the event.
MCA predicts farmer will get Chinese votes, Harapan 'still using race-based rhetoric'
4pm: Petaling Jaya - MCA vice-president Ti Lian Ker questions if there will be a repeat of the voting trend in GE14, which he claims is a contributing factor to growing racial divide.
"There’s already a racial divide reflecting the national political climate during the PRU14 whereby by and large the Chinese, Indians and Christians voted for a change or ubah.
"Will this continue or will the voters in Cameron Highlands stay above the racial divide and put a stop to political racial polarisation that’s more and more obvious of late?," says Ti in a statement, noting that observers are predicting that the votes will remain along racial lines.
He further claims that after a large number of non-Malays had voted against BN in GE14, it is now Harapan's turn to adopt a similar race-based rhetorics on issues including wealth distribution and management of the economy.
"These are the same old political narratives about wealth must be given to the Malays in proportional to their population ratio.
"Where’s the meritocracy that DAP promised?," he asks.
"There’s nothing new in the by-election of Cameron Highlands .
"It’s the same old politics with a difference i.e. BN is in the opposition and under siege by a strong government machinery under Pakatan," he further argues.
Ti as such says he believes that independent candidate Wong Seng Yee may get a bigger share of the protest votes from the Chinese community who he claims are tired of "DAP's political dramas".
Villagers enjoy free food and drinks by Wanita Umno
3pm: Kampung Belau, Pos Senderut - Temperatures are scorching and but more than 300 Orang Asli villagers gather under white tents to hear what former prime minister Najib Abdul Razak has to tell them.
“Can our candidate win? Can our Orang Asli candidate win?” he asks, and the enthusiastic crowd answers “Boleh!”.
The crowd, many donning BN t-shirts, then queue up for free beehoon, currypuffs and cordial prepared by members of Felda Tersang Wanita Umno.
After sharing a bite with tok batin (village chief), Najib leaves but not before he swamped with requests for selfies.
Anwar: Gov't must have clear plans to address Orang Asli's issues after by-election
1.30pm: Lembah Pantai, Kuala Lumpur - The government must have a clear plan to redress grieviences of the Orang Asli community but these should only be announced after the Cameron Highlands by-election is over, says PKR president Anwar Ibrahim.
"The living conditions of the Orang Asli generally are really poor. They have been neglected and marginalised, and I think the government must have a clear plan which of course must include some of the grieviences they raise.
"We should not use the campaign to announce any specific programme, but it must be done soon after the elections," he says.
Lokman claims Harapan plans to 'stop Orang Asli from voting'
Noon: Kampung Keledek, Jelai - Umno Supreme Council member Lokman Adam claims that Pakatan Harapan has plans to stop Orang Asli from voting in the Cameron Highlands by-election.
“We have received information from reliable sources that they (Harapan) are trying to ensure that about 2,000 Orang Asli voters do not come out to vote by 'buying' their identification cards.
“Without their ICs they can’t vote,” he tells the media after a BN campaign event.
Lokman further alleges that Harapan is doing this in “four to five” Orang Asli settlements but refuses to divulge more details.
“When we put Ramli Mohd Nor as our candidate it became clear that this ruined their chances to draw the Orang Asli vote,” he adds.
Malaysiakini is contacting Harapan for comment.
Manogaran: Pahang MB misled public on parking fee in highlands
11.30am: Persiaran Camellia 1, Tanah Rata - Pakatan Harapan's candidate M Manogaran says the Pahang Menteri Besar Wan Rosdy Wan Ismail has misled the public over parking issues in Cameron Highlands.
“He (Wan Rosdy) said the parking fees are only for tourist areas but clearly that is not true.
“As you can see, we are standing in front of a residential area now and the parking here have to pay,” Manogaran says to reporters today.
Besides, he adds, Tanah Rata and Brinchang are two of the most populated areas in Cameron Highlands, and are not just for tourists.
“I understand the local council has to earn as well, but not at the expense of the locals here,” he added.
Meanwhile, Kuantan MP Fuziah Salleh has accused the BN-led Pahang state government of mobilising its machinery to campaign in the Felda areas of Sungai Koyan.
She said the agriculture event held in Felda over this weekend was organised by the state department without the knowledge of the Agriculture Ministry.
“BN never learns ... they should not be using government machinery like this,” she said.
Future of Muslims, M'sia depends on Umno-PAS cooperation, says Najib
11.30am: Kampung Keledek, Jelai - Ex-prime minister and former BN chairperson Najib Abdul Razak lauds the increasingly “close and intimate” partnership between Umno and PAS.
“The future of Muslims and the country depends on this cooperation between Umno and PAS,” he tells a crowd of mostly BN supporters in this PAS stronghold.
PAS is sitting out of the Cameron Highlands by-election but its top leaders are all canvassing for BN.
Earlier, Pahang MB Wan Rosdy Wan Ismail urges Malays to unite against their foes.
“If Malays do not unite, others benefit,” he says.
Najib later denies a claim by Australian daily The Australian that the East Coast Railway Line was inflated by RM30 billion to pay for 1MDB’s debts.
“It is not true, we have already come out with a statement,” he says briefly.
Najib's strike in 'coconut bowling' lauded as good sign
11am: Kampung Keledek, Jelai - As former prime minister Najib Abdul Razak arrives in PAS stronghold Kampung Keledek, he is greeted by chants of “Allahahuakbar” and “Hidup Barisan”.
Along with Pahang Menteri Besar Wan Rosdy Wan Ismail, he participates in a “coconut bowling” competition.
Najib tosses the coconut and lands a full strike, sending all plastic water bottles crashing to the ground.
The emcee lauds this, saying it is a good sign that BN will defeat Pakatan Harapan in the Cameron Highlands by-election.
Wan Rosdy, however, is less successful after two tries.
