Pakatan Rakyat’s campaigns in the upcoming by-elections in Bukit Gantang, Bukit Selambau and Batang Ai are being crippled by the partisan mainstream media, claimed PKR de facto leader Anwar Ibrahim.

“The state-controlled mainstream media is one-sided and vicious, and has been consistently against Pakatan. I know this because I read the mainstream newspapers too,” he said today.

In recent weeks, Pakatan candidates for the by-elections on April 7 have been singled out for criticism, he claimed, while there has been little criticism of Barisan Nasional (BN) candidates “portraying as if only our candidates have problems”.

zaid ibrahim book launching 230309 cut ribbon Speaking at the launch of lawyer and former politician Zaid Ibrahim’s second book, ‘Saya Pun Melayu’, Anwar also noted that Pakatan expects to face huge odds.

“We’re confident but we’re also realistic (about our chances of winning). We know that we’ll be going up against the powerful (political) machinery, money and media of BN,” he said.

“And of course, we’re anticipating usual tactics by BN such as fraud, corruption, and intimidation.”

manikumar pkr candidate for bukit selambau 190309 Pressed to comment on rumbles on the ground over Pakatan’s choice of S Manikumar (left) to contest in Bukit Selambau, Anwar replied that the only dissatisfaction has come from MIC supporters.

“We’ve found that the voters in Bukit Selambau are generally satisfied with our candidate. In fact, I’ll be visiting them tonight,” he said.

Anwar also remarked that the lack of well-constructed roads in Batang Ai is posing a great challenge to Pakatan’s election campaign.

Also at the book launch was PAS spiritual leader Nik Abduk Nik Mat. However, Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah, who had written the foreword for the book, did not turn up - he was said to be attending an Umno meeting.