An argument over a “recycled candidate” broke out soon after the BN, PKR and SAPP candidates successfully passed the nomination process for the Batu Sapi by-election.

Deputy Prime Minister-cum-BN deputy chairperson Muhyiddin Yassin labelled PKR candidate Ansari Abdullah as a “recycled candidate” who had contested many times but had been rejected by the people.

“Indeed PKR had no candidate and their candidate is not laku any more, but they recycle it. But let the voters make their decision. I won’t belittle this candidate.

Tuaran division chief Ansari Abdullah “No matter who he is, we will face them,” he told a press conference after the nomination process at the Sandakan community hall, which serves as the nomination centre.

Ansari ( right ), at another press conference outside the nomination centre, fought back when he was asked about the issue.

“I’ve never counted how many times I contested. To me, whether I win or not is not for BN or SAPP to decide. It is for God and the people to decide.

“BN can lose five states plus the Federal Territory. There’s no reason why they cannot lose Batu Sapi, and they had lost Sibu when the deputy minister who had had won previously with a 3,000 majority was defeated. So the pepple are stronger than BN.”

Muhyiddin meanwhile expressed confidence in BN’s campaign, saying they have set a good momentum early in their campaign to defend Batu Sapi.

He urged every level of their machinery, from leaders to grassroots supporters, to show their “interest and effort” to earn victory for their candidate, Linda Tsen Thau Lin.

The deputy premier also believes the voters will continue to have faith in BN, saying they have the answers to whatever allegations raised against them by the opposition throughout the nine-day campaign.

“I am confident that if we take the bull by the horns by not ignoring the issues, by giving strong answers, the voters will believe our candidate,” he said.

DPM tempers optimism

Muhyiddin however tempered his optimism, saying that the BN needs to secure more non-bumiputera votes if it hopes to win the seat.

“At the moment, the trend is encouraging. We know Umno has many members (in Batu Sapi), mostly from among the Muslims, but that is not enough to determine our victory. We need votes from the Chinese, the Indians and all the races so that BN can achieve victory,” he said.

NONE Muhyiddin ( second from right in pic ) also denied allegations that they are offering RM2,000 to each voter to buy over support, saying that “we in BN always follow EC (election commission) rules”.

“We know in by-elections, we have rules. The EC will monitor (the situation) and we hope all will go according to the law... this is not the first time (facing a by-election).

“In all by-elections we have faced, the BN followed the rules 100 percent. So we don’t want people to make accusations.”