FREE BY-ELECTIONS What's happening in the by-election campaigns in the parliamentary constituency of Batu Sapi and the Galas state seat? Quotable quotes, planned events and unplanned incidences as they occur in P185 and N45.

 

---

6am (Batu Sapi): SAPP candidate Yong Teck Lee visits Pasar Tanah Merah

7am: (Batu Sapi): Yong has breakfast at Restoran Habib, Taman Mawar.

7.30am : (Batu Sapi): PKR candidate Ansari Abdullah visits Pasar Tanah Merah.

9am (Batu Sapi): Yong ( left ) visits Pasar Taman Ramai.

9am (Batu Sapi): Ansari visits Pulau Timbang, opens Markas PKR.

9am (Galas): PAS candidate Dr Zulkefli Mohamad visits a family grieving for the loss of a loved one.

10am (Galas): PAS' election machinery holds its first daily briefing for the media to provide its campaign'. Zulkefli also reads out his campaign's five-point mission statement. He also outlines the main thrust of his campaign.

On hand to provide more details was the party's Galas by-election machinery advisor Wan Abdul Halim Wan Abdul Rahman.

10.30am (Batu Sapi): PBS president Joseph Pairin Kitingan and Batu Sapi candidate Linda Tsen visit Bandar Ramai-Ramai, Bandar Leila, Bandar Nam Tung.

11am (Galas): PKR secretary-general Saifuddin Nasution Ismail, Simpang Pulai state assemblyperson Chang Ming Kai and Chuah state assemblyperson Chai Tong Chai speak to the press at PKR campaign operations centre.

11.30am (Galas): DAP national publicity secretary Tony Pua holds press conference at DAP campaign operations centre in Kampung Baru Gua Musang.

11.30am (Galas): Deputy Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin meets with Orang Asli community at Sekolah Kebangsaan Brooke.

11.35am (Batu Sapi): During a walkabout at Bandar Ramai-ramai, Linda Tsen was on the verge of tears when a reporter asked her a question related to her family and the impact of her decision to contest on her family.

12pm (Galas): Zulkefli goes on a walkabout in the Chinese community heralded by Keadilan staff on loudhailers.

With him are Simpang Pulai state assemblyperson Chan and several others.

He makes the rounds of Kampung Baru Gua Musang, shaking hands with residents, business owners and passers-by, and pays the police post set up to monitor the by-election a visit, greeting off-duty officers lounging around by their truck.

At a stall along his route the good doctor stops to dispense some medical advice to a Malay family whose baby has fallen sick.

Zulkefli chats and shakes hands with business owners, residents and passers-by, and visits a police observation post set up to monitor the Kampung Baru area during the by-election.

A Chinese PAS supporter, on seeing Zulkefli outside his house, goes in to change into a PAS T-shirt so that the doctor can autograph it (right) .

Zulkefli also detours briefly to visit the local MCA campaign post in the area.

1.15pm (Batu Sapi): It is confirmed that PKR candidate Ansari Abdullah fell into the sea at Pulau Timbang after a wooden jetty gave way.

1.45pm (Galas): The emergence of several banners in the heart of Gua Musang town bearing the words " Harbi DAP (DAP are enemies)" rile up Pakatan Rakyat campaign workers, who promptly took them down.

2pm (Batu Sapi): Sabah PKR holds a press briefing. The party unveiled seven-point election manifesto.

2pm (Galas): A group of Gua Musang residents receive their nationality status certificate from National Registration Department’s director-general Alwi Ibrahim. Programme was held at the SM Tengku Indera Petra.

2.15pm (Galas): Deputy Finance Minister Awang Adek Husin met with polling centre workers at a community hall in Batu Papan.

2.15pm (Galas): DPM Muhyiddin Yassin meets with voters in Batu Papan and Batu Papan polling centre, one of BN's strongholds in Galas. BN candidate Abdul Aziz Yusof also attends the programme, co-organised by Kesedar. It attacts about 400 people.

Muhyiddin says in his speech said that the people should reject PAS as it would not take up development issues in their campaign, whereas BN who is more capable of bringing development to the people.

The opposition, Muhyiddin adds, would only focus on national issue like the 100-storey Menara Warisan Merdeka.

An imam from a mosque in Temalir district (also in Galas), Muhyiddin relates, had asked him for help to repair the building.

"I asked him, 'Why you are seeking help from me when you can seek help from Nik Aziz?".

The answer the imam gave, said Muhyiddin (left, file photo) , is because the DPM is more capable of helping, he said.

On claims that BN had neglected the problems faced by the Orang Asli , Muhyiddin also said that he had managed to resolve issues involving the indigenous people in Galas during his visits.

"Their land was taken by the state government without any compensation.

"Land issues, water, providing (land) for rubber planting - I have resolved them all," says the DPM.

Abdul Aziz in his speech says he does not wish to give promises, but he will work as hard as he can to provide the best service to the people. Though he does not hold high academic credentials, he has the will and ability to serve, which is more important, says Abdul Aziz.

2.30pm (Batu Sapi): Joseph Pairin Kitingan and BN candidate Linda Tsen visited Pasar Kim Fung, Bandar Hing Loong.

2.40pm (Batu Sapi): Ansari holds a pres conference at Bandar Ramai-Ramai, Sandakan, relates his "bath in the sea" incident earlier this afternoon. He also unveiled his 7 points manisfesto.

4.30pm (Galas): Rural and Regional Development Minister Mohd Shafie Apdal to meet Orang Asli in Pos Balar.

5pm (Batu Sapi): Ansari to visit Pasar MPS and, later, to join prayers at Masjid MPS

6pm (Batu Sapi): Kitingan and Tsen to visit Taman Mawar residential area (starting from Pasar Taman Mawar); and Shafie to meet Orang Asli in Pos Hendrop.

7pm (Batu Sapi): Ansari gives ceramah at Kg Bahagia.

"The Chinese are wise people - they are not stupid. They own many shops and are rich. Even wise men also don't want BN. Why do we still want BN?"

7pm (Batu Sapi): Foreign Affairs Minister Anifah Aman meets with Chinese Chamber Association, Fisherman Association and Tong Kay Association of Sandakan/Batu Sapi at Ocean King, Seafood Sandakan. 

8.45pm (Batu Sapi): Domestic Trade Cooperatives and Consumers Minister meets the rakyat programme at Taman Mawar, Sandakan.

Elsewhere, Chief Minister Musa Aman holds a ceramah with BN candidate Tsen in Kg Istimewa, Jalan Batu Sapi, promising that BN will deliver on its promises, even if it is one thing at a time.

"What can the opposition do? Can they build a mosque? No. Can they build a road? No. Can they unclog your drain? No.

"Even if it may sometimes take a long time, BN will deliver.

"And remember - you have never heard of any regrets when a woman is elected as a representative."

9pm (Galas): Pakatan holds ceramah at the house of Sulaiman Ngah in Kampung Tanah Putih.

9pm (Galas): Opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim, PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang, PKR vice-president Lee Boon Chye, PAS information chief Idris Ahmad, Lembah Pantai MP Nurul Izzah and PKR’s sec-gen Saifuddin at the Jalan Masjid PAS campaign operations centre in Kampung Baru, Gua Musang.

9pm (Galas): PAS Youth launches its machinery for the Galas by-election at a Chinese restaurant in Kampung Pulai.

Its information chief Suhaizan Kaiat, Kelantan PAS youth chief Abdul Latiff Abdul Rahman and its secretary Muhammad Hafiz Musa were among those who attended the programme.

Kampung Pulai is one of the "white area" for PAS in Galas Dun.

PAS candidate Zulkefli also dropped by at about 10pm to meet and greet the 50-odd voters and party workers.

A recording of ceramah by PKR de facto leader Anwar was shown on a screen at the operation centre next door.