LIVE BLOG DAY 7 | The rumble in Sungai Besar and Kuala Kangsar heats up today for Super Saturday.
Sungai Besar kicks off with a keynote address by former premier Dr Mahathir Mohamad, who is attending a Pakatan Harapan event.
Harapan is also hosting major ceramahs in both Sungai Besar and Kuala Kangsar tonight, featuring DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng in Kuala Kangsar.
On the BN side, Deputy Prime Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi continues campaigning in Sungai Besar, while Defence Minister Hishammuddin Hussein is in Kuala Kangsar.
Follow our LIVE BLOG as the Malaysiakini team brings you the news as it takes place.
Rosmah masterminded Najib's rise, alleges SAMM pamphlet
12am: Dataran Tonggak, Sg Besar - Solidariti Anak Muda Malaysia (SAMM) distributes booklets at the Pakatan Harapan ceramah here on Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak's wife Rosmah Mansor's alleged scandals.
The book among others claims that Rosmah was the real mastermind behind Najib's rise to power.
The ceramah itself was rather lacklustre, with main event for the night drawing in a measly crowd of just 250 people.
The star of the night Rafizi Ramli meanwhile got less than 10 minutes to speak, in which he made no exposes.
He says he will speak more when he comes back to Sungai Besar on Wednesday.
Meanwhile, the PKR secretary-general also takes aim at PAS, urging voters not to vote for the party due to their friendliness with Umno.
"Voting for PAS is like menjentik (giving a flick) to Umno, but keeping Najib in power," he says.
Sekinchan assemblyperson asks PAS' candidate Rani to repent
11.20pm: Dataran Tonggak, Sg Besar - DAP Sekinchan assemblyperson Ng Suee Lim has called on his "friend", PAS candidate Dr Rani Osman, to repent.
He says Rani appears to have contradicted his lectures in the Selangor state assembly about not being in cahoots with oppressors.
"Now he is the one leaning towards oppressors.
"I call on him to return to the right path, and pull out from the elections," Ng says.
He adds Rani might be his friend, but he will fight those who collude with despots until 'kiamat' (judgment day).
Manong bridge like Laksamana Do Re Mi, quips Nga
"The bridge construction was first announced in the 1970s and thrice the ground breaking ceremonies were held. Until today, it has yet to be constructed," he says.
"When Najib announces this again, ceh, this is like P Ramlee's Laksamana Do Re Mi," Nga quips.
Meanwhile, PKR election director Saifuddin Nasution urges the voters to support Harapan candidate, and stand behind new politics that will treat all races as a family.
Despite the rain getting heavier at the royal town, the crowd at the Super Saturday ceramah increases to about 1,000.
DAP announces that 2,500 were at the ceramah, and that RM2,066 fill the donation jars tonight.
PAS veep: We’re close to everyone, even mat rempit
8.30pm: Bukit Chandan, Kuala Kangsar - PAS vice-president Idris Ahmad says the party is close to everyone, even the DAP and PKR.
He says this when asked to respond to PAS Youth chief Nik Mohamad Abduh Nik Abdul Aziz who said that PAS was determined to unite with Umno to further the cause of Islam.
“With the non-Muslims, people who do not pray, we are close to them. We have a mat rempit group which we are close to.
“We are close to everyone. So it doesn't arise that we are trying to be close to Umno,” he says in a press conference held here tonight.
Idris points out that getting close to Umno does not mean that PAS wants to be with Umno.
“Would we accuse DAP of wanting to join BN when we see Lim Guan Eng hugging (Deputy Prime Minister) Zahid (Hamidi) and (Prime Minister) Najib (Abdul Razak)?
“It’s childish to accuse us of wanting to be with Umno […] They (critics) don't have anything else, they can't implicate us in scandals because there are none so in the end they accuse of of being with Umno,” he adds.
Gerakan accuses DAP of supporting Islamisation
8.30pm: Kampung Baru Jerlun - Speaking to Chinese voters at SJK(C) Jerlun during a dumpling festival celebration, Penang Gerakan leader Rich Too trains his gun at DAP for supposedly being supportive of Islamisation.
He says that the MCA and Gerakan had tried very hard to stop Islamic policies from being implemented in the country, only to be told off by Umno, that even DAP support Islamic policies in Penang and Selangor where they are part of the government.
He quotes what he claimed to be Islamisation policies in both states, including the construction of religious schools, an Islamic city, and the restrictions on liquor sales.
"They (Umno) said why should both Gerakan and MCA oppose as it has only two and seven parliamentary seats, but DAP with 37 seats, said nothing," he says.
He reminds those present on the importance of keeping their Chinese identity.
"Malaysia is the only Asean country that has yet to be assimilated.
"The Chinese in Indonesia does not have Chinese names,while Chinese in Thailand use Thai names. Those in the Philippines use Christian name," he says.
He hopes the Chinese will think carefully on this before casting their ballots.
At the event, Gerakan treats the mainly Chinese crowd with free buffet, karaoke and lucky draw. Some 150 people turn up for the event.
The dumpling festival celebration also sees more than 10 hampers given out to lucky draw winners.
MACC would need 12.3 years to finish grilling Najib, quips Kit Siang
5pm: Sekinchan, Sg Besar - Prime Minister Najib Razak's questioning session by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) would last 12.3 years, if the graft commission spends the same effort as they did grilling Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng.
DAP supremo Lim Kit Siang makes the observation in his speech for the 1MDB colloquium this afternoon.
"I thought about the three-day interrogation spanning some 23 hours of the Penang chief minister [...] in connection with the corruption allegations about his RM2.8 million bungalow.
"If Najib is given the same MACC treatment as Guan Eng [...], the prime minister would be questioned 12.3 years for his RM4.2 billion “donation” scandal.
"This is because Najib’s RM4.2 billion 'donation' scandal is 1,500 times bigger," says Lim.
Doing the math, he says Guan Eng's three-day grilling is proportionally equivalent to 4,500 days for the larger sum involved.
"Imagine Najib going in and out of MACC office to be questioned for 12 years and four months, from wake-up in the morning to retirement for sleep at night, and doing nothing else!" he quips.
Dr M's Save Malaysia forum banner in K Kangsar slashed
Images of former Batu Kawan Umno deputy chief Khairuddin Abu Hassan and ex-Gopeng Wanita chief Hamidah Osman has been slashed.Though the image of a smiling Mahathir on the banner remains untouched.
Besides the 1MDB colloquium in the morning, Mahathir and the duo will attend another forum at Taman Chandan Putri in the afternoon.
Mastura seeks religious experts’ help on if she can go out to vote
3.30pm: Bukit Chandan, Kuala Kangsar - BN candidate Mastura Mohd Yazid says she will seek help from religious experts before she decides whether to go out and vote on Jun 18.
“But it is my hope that I will do my part as a voter. But I have to see whether there are religious restrictions from doing so.
“I have yet to decide but my desire to go out to vote is very strong,” she says, adding how she had voted here a number of times, even before her late husband was the lawmaker here.
Meanwhile, Mastura stands firm behind her demand that the Kuala Kangsar Hospital be upgraded into a specialist medical facility.
In response to critics who say that the suggestion was not practical, she argues that such a medical facility has always been the desire of locals here.“Many patients from Kuala Kangsar had to be transferred to Taiping and sometimes it involves their lives.
“This is a royal town, the standards must be emphasised,” she stresses.
On Health Minister Dr S Subramaniam who said that switching the hospital to a specialist one would be hard due to budgetary issues and the occupancy at 40 percent, Mastura points out that the low occupancy may be due to patients already seeking help in Taiping or Ipoh.
“I will not give up. I will continue to strive to ensure whatever (that is) required by the people of Kuala Kangsar is met,” she says.
Budiman dons Rela gear, says vote 'one of your own'
3.15pm: Sg Leman, Sg Besar - BN candidate Budiman Mohd Zohdi dons a Rela uniform and is introduced at the volunteer corps' event as a new recruit.
He sings them praises for keeping the peace and helping out with community events, before making his plea asking them to support their latest recruit.
"This new recruit needs your help, insya Allah on June 18 we will have the same spirit and the same vote," he says.
Deputy Prime Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi later adds that if Budiman is good to Rela, then Rela will be good to him.
Former exco Ronnie Liu lodges report against EC
3pm: Sekinchan, Sg Besar - In a twist of events, former Selangor exco member Ronnie Liu has lodged a police report against the Election Commission (EC), police and BN for tearing down DAP's controversial billboards on Wednesday.
In his report, Liu (photo) cites the Elections Act to say that only local councils can take down banners, not the EC or police.
He also says there is nothing wrong with one of the banners, which says 'BN rasuah rakyat susah', (BN's corruption makes the people suffer) that was taken down.
British PMs never acted more lavishly than Queen E, says Raja Bahrin
3pm: Kuala Kangsar - Terengganu Amanah chairperson Raja Bahrin Shah tells voters of the royal town to remember the town's historical significance, and in doing so reject the excesses of the present leadership, whose lavish lifestyle he claims outshines the royalty.
"Kuala Kangsar voters need to assess whether Prime Minister Najib Razak, who behaves more (lavishly) than the kings themselves, deserves to be supported," says the Kuala Terengganu MP in a statement.
In the statement Raja Bahrin makes scathing comments about the prime minister's family's alleged lavish lifestyle, taking off from reports about the hired jet for Najib's wife Rosmah Mansor.
"Should the excessive lifestyle displayed by the prime minister, his family, be allowed?
"Never have British prime ministers and their families who are so influential, ever behaved more lavishly than Queen Elizabeth II," says the Amanah MP.
He adds the families of previous Malaysian prime ministers beginning with Tunku Abdul Rahman have always behaved modestly in reverence to the royalty and likewise, the royalty have always observed care with the people's money.
Perak DAP: Destruction of billboards an act of sabotage
2.50pm: Kuala Kangsar - Perak DAP claims up to eight billboards put up by the party throughout Kuala Kangsar have been destroyed, and calls it an act of sabotage.
"Three types of billboards put up by us were destroyed. Even the frames were broken," says Perak DAP chief Nga Kor Ming.
"One of the billboard features 'BN rasuah, Rakyat susah', another calls for support and the third one depicts BN and PAS in cahoots with each other," he tells Malaysiakini.
Nga describes the destroyed billboard depicting Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak, PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang and MCA president Liow Tiong Lai as triple Siamese twins as an act of sabotage.
"It couldn't be the work of Election Commission (EC) as the whole billboard structure was destroyed," he says.
The same controversial billboards in Sungai Besar were taken down by the EC.
Nga however refuses to pinpoint who may have been the perpetrators.
"We will meet to discuss on the next course of action. To replace these billboards can be very expensive, as each may easiy cost up to RM1,000," he adds.
Meanwhile, Nga reveals that Pakatan Harapan hoped to garner 80 percent of Chinese votes, 25 percent of Malay votes and 60 percent of Indian votes in Kuala Kangsar.
"If we can obtain such support, Amanah then will write the national history and create a miracle," he says in a press statement.
Nga describes the Chinese community as the kingmaker in the by-election.
Thus, he calls on the outstation voters to return home to vote and empower the strength of the moderates.
"Harapan's ceramah was disrupted by political thugs, while the billboards were sabotaged," he says.
Perak MB promises to expedite construction of Manong bridge
2.15pm: Kuala Kangsar - Perak Menteri Besar Zambry Abdul Kadir promises to expedite the construction of the Manong bridge.
This was after Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak's announcement of a RM43.5 million allocation for the bridge yesterday was met with ridicule as opponents say the bridge was announced multiple times but is still unbuilt.
Zambry explains the bridge was not built previously due to constraints, including the unsuitability of the location as well as cost.
Teresa Kok slams Ahmad Maslan's illogical reasoning
2pm: Kuala Lumpur - DAP national vice-chairperson Teresa Kok slams deputy minister Ahmad Maslan for suggesting that Chinese voters do not vote in the Sungai Besar and Kuala Kangsar by-elections as the results will not be able to change the federal government.
"His call is most shocking and his reason is illogical. His call also reflects his ultra kiasu attitude.
"Going by his logic, he should call on all BN supporters not to vote in the twin by-elections on June 18, as BN will continue to be the government even if it loses the two parliamentary seats," she says.
Kok says Ahmad did not seem to understand the meaning of democracy and that every citizen has a role to play in an election.
PAS is only out to arrest 'girls in tight clothes', says Zaid
1pm: Restoran Hao Xiang Chi, Sekinchan: In rallying support for Amanah's Sungai Besar candidate, former federal minister Zaid Ibrahim today claims that PAS is only out to arrest 'girls in tight clothes'.
"When PAS comes to power with Najib, you Chinese will also be arrested. Not just Muslims.
"They will start with only Malays but when they rule Putrajaya, amois will also be arrested," he claims.
He is speaking to a crowd of largely Chinese voters during a DAP-organised forum in Sekinchan.
"To the Malay voters, I hope no need to vote for PAS. Waste of time. PAS is sure to lose.
"Furthermore the party has no struggle. It it just out to arrest girls. It will arrest girls in tight clothes," he claims.
Dr M visits Amanah candidate's Umno dad
12.30pm: Sg Besar - Mahathir pays a visit to Amanah candidate Azhar Shukur's father, who is bed ridden at home.
The senior Shukur is an Umno member and was a former Tanjong Karang MP.
"I have my father's full support even though he is still with Umno," Azhar tells Mahathir.
Mahathir in turn quips to Shukur that he has left Umno, which he now describes as Najib's party.
"Don't think about the elections, let the young people think about it," Mahathir adds.
Shukur's expression remains mostly unchanged throughout the five minute meeting, although those around him make jokes and try to be cheerful.
As they part ways both Shukur and Mahathir shake hands and apologise to each other, although it is unclear over what.
Dr M meets Sg Besar Amanah nominee Azhar Syukur's father, who is an ex-Umno leader and still a member @malaysiakini pic.twitter.com/MMTCO2EnNc
— Zikri Kamarulzaman (@zikri) June 11, 2016
Song for Khair-il serenades BN campaign
12pm: SJK(C) Jerlun, Kuala Kangsar - BN candidate's son Wan Imar Izzat's song 'Pinggiran Syurga' is uploaded to Youtube yesterday to commemorate his late father and Kuala Kangsar MP Wan Mohammad Khair-il Anuar Wan Ahmad.
The song, which he originally wrote in conjunction with Father's Day, has now become a musical tribute to Khair-il.
"When I first introduced the song to my mom, she couldn't hold herself back. It was a very emotional journey for her to see again the sort of unveiling memory we had, the tragedy.
"We tried our best to hold her back. "This is something that made my father very proud," he says.
There is no political element behind his song, he said.
Wan Imar, who got his first recording contract last month, said the offer came even before he returned to Malaysia following his father's tragedy.
Wan Imar also distances the family from current issues such as the expose of the prime minister's wife Rosmah Mansor's jet trip and the 1MDB scandal.
"We only want to continue our dad's mission and vision in Kuala Kangsar, this has got nothing to do with the national issues.
"I hope the people do not try to make something out of nothing," he adds.
"We have no intention of bashing one another," he says, when asked about former Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad attending a 1MDB colloquium tomorrow.
A vote for Amanah is a vote for hudud law, says MCA
12.10pm: SJK(C) Jerlun, K Kangsar - Deputy Women, Family and Community Development Minister Chew Mei Fun says that the Chinese community will have to call for SOS if they vote for Amanah candidate Ahmad Termizi Ramli.
"What do you think of when you see the Amanah's orange flag, you think of bomba, right? This represents emergency.
"If you vote for Amanah, you will immediately call for SOS," she tells some 100 villagers at a welfare event organised by the ministry.
"A vote for Amanah is a vote for hudud law," she says before elaborating that Amanah did not oppose the hudud law.
"I hope the people vote for BN candidate Mastura (Mohd Yazid) as this is equivalent to supporting MCA."
Chinese support is important to MCA as a tool to negotiate with the government, Chew adds.
"If we have Chinese support, then the menteri besar (Zambry Abdul Kadir) will say,'You are great and we will do whatever you ask for," she says.
Chew says MCA president Liow Tiong Lai would also tell Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak if he felt something was not right.
Also present at the event are Wan Imar Izzat and Wan Amar, the second and fourth sons of the late MP, Wan Mohammad Khair-il Anuar Wan Ahmad.
When Manong bridge will be built, Amanah asks Najib
11am: Amanah K Kangsar headquarters - Perak Amanah chief Asmuni Awi today counters Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak who said that there has yet to be a groundbreaking ceremony for the construction of Manong bridge.
Asmuni claims that a groundbreaking ceremony was conducted by the constituency’s former MP (Rafidah Aziz).
“The prime minister said he doesn't know about it, well if he doesn't know he can verify it with the former minister who was the Kuala Kangsar MP,” he says in a press conference here today.
Responding to Najib who announced a RM43.5 million allocation for the construction of the bridge, Asmuni said they were not asking for the allocation.
“We are not asking for the allocation but we want to know when it will be built.
“This is just one of BN’s ways to appease what’s happening in Manong. The rakyat realise that they have always been given sweet but empty promises,” says Asmuni.
Dr M officiates Harapan's 1MDB-RM2.6b forum
10.30am: Sg Besar, Sekinchan - Former premier Mahathir Mohamad arrives at Hao Xiang Chi restaurant to deliver the keynote address at a forum on 1MDB and the RM2.6 billion donation scandal.
The forum's title is '1MDB and Najib's donation: The straw that breaks the camels back?'
The crowd of some 300 Pakatan Harapan supporters, largely comprising elderly Chinese from the area, stands up and cheers as Mahathir walks into the 500 seat hall.
Accompanying him is his wife, Siti Hasmah Mohamad Ali and Harapan leaders.
Many in the crowd are wearing the orange Amanah T-shirt to campaign for the party's candidate Azhar Abdul Shukur.
Among those present are DAP veteran Lim Kit Siang, who will deliver the closing speech, rights NGO Hakam chairperson Ambiga Sreenevasan, who is one of the panellists, and former Selangor menteri besar Muhammad Mohamad Talib.
