Azmin: Rela members owe no loyalty to BN
DAY 7 TELUK INTAN What’s happening in the by-election campaign in the parliamentry constituency of Teluk Intan? Quotable quotes, planned events and unplanned incidents as they take place.
5.59pm: DAP deputy publicity chief Teo Nie Ching denies Gerakan's Wanita chief Tan Lian Hoe's accusations that the party was spreading flyers claiming that BN's candidate Mah Siew Keong had acted inappropriately against women.
"The accusation is illogical as DAP has never engaged in dirty tactics... Tan has made a false accusation against DAP without proof," says Teo in a statement this evening.
Gerakan's accusation is a tit-for-tat after DAP accused BN of circulating photographs of Filipina actress Pauleen Luna in a bikini, passing it off as DAP's candidate Dyana Sofya Mohd Daud.
Teo, who is also Kulai MP, demands that Tan produces proof, adding that DAP would take stern action if Gerakan's allegation is proven true.
4.45pm: Kajang - Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim defends DAP's apparent protectiveness of its Teluk Intan by-election candidate Dyana Sofya Mohd Daud after DAP leaders were accused of preventing her from speaking .
"She was not stopped from speaking, she is still delivering speeches but because of the vicious and uncouth attacks against her, even obscene attacks by Umno, DAP has asked her to be careful.
"Some of her programmes have also been distrubed but her programmes this evening with (PKR's Lembah Pantai MP) Nurul Izzah Anwar is still on...
"There are question and answer sessions and dialogue with youths which are all going ahead," he said.
4.15 pm: Leaning Tower - BN campaigner Faizal Effendi Hashim uses a loudhailer aimed across to the Pakatan crowd waiting the arrival of Lembah Pantai MP Nurul Izzah Anwar and DAP candidate Dyana Sofya Mohd Daud.
They boo him and mockingly shout, " Hidup Melayu " (Long live the Malays) imitating BN's Mah Siew Keong at a ceramah earlier, and he turns away.
Faizal ( right ) is booed once again when he sings Pakatan's 'Suara Rakyat' that the opposition often sing at their gatherings.
3.50 pm: Leaning Tower - A BN Youth volunteer worker accuses DAP candidate Dyana Sofya Mohd Daud of wanting to open up UiTM to non-Malays.
When Malaysiakini spoke to him he refused to give his name or source of the claim.
An older fellow campaigner who refused to identify himself says, "We don't want to talk to Malaysiakini. You spin your way, we spin our way."
Dyana had been reported calling for a similar institution such as UiTM to be set up for non-Malays, but had not suggested the former which is exclusive to bumiputera be opened to the rest of Malaysians.
Last September, she lamented how non-bumiputera from low income families were deprived the same assistance for public higher education that UiTM afforded bumiputera.
3.30pm : Bukit Gelugor - At the polling there, Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng urges the Election Commission (EC) to act on incidents of free uniforms being distributed in Teluk Intan.
"Money politics is not just about giving money but also includes giving out free uniforms," Guan Eng says after casting his vote in SMJK Chung Hwa, in Penang as polling for the Bukit Gelugor by-election is underway.
"Whether it is ordinary persons or ministers who give them out on behalf of the party, EC should act on them, there is no immunity here."
He adds national attention is now on Teluk Intan as there is going to be an intense fight at the poll there.
"This has happened because the DAP wants to bring change to the political scenario by putting up a new face for Teluk Intan.
"I feel the percentage of voters in Teluk Intan will be higher.
"No matter how high the voter turnout is in Bukit Gelugor, we are still behind in Teluk Intan. We are fighting for our lives there," he asserts.
1.40pm: PKR deputy president Azmin Ali slams Home Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi for threatening Rela members about their vote saying they do not owe their allegiance to Umno.
"Apart from clearly running afoul of the Election Offences Act, it is also a grave abuse of power as Rela is directly under his ministry.
"Zahid must stop threatening Rela members. They are not beholden to either Zahid or Umno as far as their constitutional rights are concerned and no one, not even the minister in charge of Rela has the right to influence, let alone direct their voting choice," says Azmin in a statement today.
Calling Zahid's remarks yesterday as a "gross violation of election laws" and "shameful" tactics, he reminds the minister that Rela is being paid "neither from Zahid nor Umno but from the rakyat’s money".
"They owe their allegiance to the agong, the nation and the people, and not to any individual or political party."
1.30pm: According to Sinar Harian , Mah Siew Keong will unveil his election manifesto tomorrow or Tuesday.
11.44am: BN candidate Mah Siew Keong tries to get sympathy from the Indian community pleading with them not to let him lose.
"This time, don't let me lose (the contest).
"The DAP leaders say they are the heroes, but they were not here. I, despite losing, am still here and have tried to do the best for all of you here," Bernama reports him saying at a political talk at Batu 6, Taman Desa Aman last night.
He also continues to draw voters away from national issues.
"They say national issues are more important, but they are not able to solve problems facing the constituents here.
"Solve problems facing the people here first, then only talk about national issues.
"Now, they say it is a contest between the young and old. I am not old yet, only 57. They also say bad things about me on the Internet, post photoshop pictures of me and then sent false SMS," he adds.
Describing such actions as immature, Mah says all quarters should cease engaging in dirty campaigning as it does not bring any good to voters in Teluk Intan.
10am: Yesterday Deputy Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin continues to pitch the idea that Mah Siew Keong will be a minister if he wins this by-election.
He says the Hilir Perak district already has two ministers including Pasir Salak MP Tajuddin Abdul Rahman who is a deputy minister.
"So with this parliamentary by-election...I am confident if he wins one more Hilir Perak figure will be among the central government," he says at a programme with Teluk Intan Rela members in the late afternoon.
"It would be a shame if the people of Teluk Intan chooses someone else," he adds.
For more news and views that matter, subscribe and support independent media for only RM0.36 sen a day:
Subscribe now