Deputy Defence Minister Mohd Johari Baharum said the government never put military personnel in certain areas for the purpose of winning votes in the general election but it was instead based on needs and strategies to ensure national security.

“Such an allegation is an insult to the country's security forces,” he said to refute Johor DAP chairperson Liew Chin Tong who claimed the construction of military camps in certain places in Johor was politically motivated.

“We have a large army camp in Port Dickson, Negeri Sembilan and the largest naval base in Lumut, Perak but we (BN) still lost the two seats.

It shows that we do not build military camps for the general election," he told reporters after delivering schooling aid for 2018 in Jitra, Kedah.

A news portal reported that Liew challenged Defence Minister Hishammuddin Hussein to deny allegations that a military camp would be built in the Sembrong constituency, of which Hishammuddin is the MP.

Liew was quoted as claiming the construction of the camp was for the purpose of increasing the number of military voters thus saving the minister who almost lost in the area in the last general election.

Johari, who is also Kubang Pasu MP, said his ministry would not compromise with any quarter on the issue of national security and would place security personnel wherever needed including national service training centres.

At the ceremony, about 400 kindergarten pupils from Kubang Pasu parliamentary constituency each received donation of two sets of school uniforms, a pair of shoes, two pairs of socks and stationery contributed by UEM Group Berhad.

- Bernama