K KANGSAR POLLS Groceries seems to be the theme for the Kuala Kangsar by-election rallies.

At Jalan Datoh, Kuala Kangsar, about 100 people who attended the MCA Parents' Day and 'Yang Benar' ceramah returned home hugging 10 kg bags of rice each, while Pakatan Harapan supporters clutched sawi bunches.

One rally-goer at the MCA event told Malaysiakini she had to register earlier to redeem the rice.

"I was told I can get a pack of rice and probably a hamper (of goods) by showing up at this event," she says.

"We can get the rice after the ceramah finish," she said while sitting patiently through the event.

'Yang Benar' is the theme of MCA's campaign truck which doubles up as a stage.

It made its third appearance at the Kuala Kangsar by-election today, with much of the two-hour event used to attack DAP, Amanah and PAS over the hudud issue.

But the crowd was clearly there for the goodies stacked high against a wall adorned with election posters.

Some attended with their family members to maximise their loot, hauling home up to four bags per family.

MCA Wanita chief Heng Seai Kie, who gave out the first rice bag, said she was in the dark over why rice was given out and directed Malaysiakini to get more information from the organisers - the BN district polling centre committee.

"I don't know, I am here to speak (for ceramah)," she said.

One man who claimed to be a party worker denied the attendees were being bought off with rice.

"This is the celebration of Parents' Day. Do not listen to the opposition's bulls**t that they come (to the) ceremah for handouts," said the man who donned BN T-shirt.

He said the rice was given to the underprivileged and elderly in conjuction with Parents' Day.

Earlier, the organiser invited the crowd to sing a birthday song to celebrate Parents' Day, which coincidentally falls on Heng's birthday today.

Other speakers include MCA speaker Yik Phooi Hoong and MCA youth vice chief Tan Chee Hiong.

Donation from Cameron Highlands

Over at the Pakatan Harapan rally at Jalan Dato Sagor, about 150 people were seen sitting amid the drizzle with bunches of sawi on their laps.

A rally-goer who declined to be named said he received the leafy vegetable from a party worker, who was handing it out.

A party worker confirmed that the vegetable was from a Harapan supporter from Cameron Highlands.

"We received two baskets of it (sawi),” said the party worker, at the rally attended by 150 people from the Chinese community.

Earlier today Gerakan handed out bags of rice to the Kuala Kangsar electorate at the party's Parents' Day event.

Kuala Kangsar was won by BN by a slim margin of about 1 percent in 2013. About 30 percent of Kuala Kangsar voters are ethnic Chinese.

BN's Mastura Mohd Yazid, who is the widow of incumbent Wan Mohammad Khair-il Anuar Wan Ahmad, is up against PAS' Dr Najihatussalehah Ahmad, Amanah's Ahmad Termizi Ramli and independent candidate Izat Bukhary Ismail Bukhary.

Kuala Kangsar goes to polls on June 18.