PD POLLS | Amid concerns of government funds being used in Pakatan Harapan candidate Anwar Ibrahim's campaign for the Port Dickson by-election, organisers insist that budget for the two-day Picnic @ PD concert was not too high, with funds coming mostly from a charity organisation and "friends."

The concert, which was attended by Anwar and his wife, Deputy Prime Minister Wan Azizah Wan Ismail, was paid for by funds from the Pertubuhan Khidmat Kebajikan Masyarakat Madani (Madani), as well as contributions from individuals who lent a helping hand, organisers said.

Both Anwar and Wan Azizah gave speeches at the free concert, which featured popular singers Hattan, M Nasir, and Awie, and saw an attendance of over 2,000. 

Arief Imran, who sits on the organising committee, explained that Anwar and Wan Azizah were not given exclusive invites to the concert, and that any of the by-election candidates would have been welcomed there. 

Anwar Ibrahim Club (AIC) secretary Azmi Nor, meanwhile, said that the concert had already been planned before the Election Commission announced the date of the Oct 13 by-election.

According to the event poster, Picnic @ PD was organised by Madani, AIC, and Muafakat Anak Muda.

As Azmi explained, AIC was only acting as a "consultant" for the concert, as it had prior experience of organising events.

He added that the main objectives of the concert were to show the potential of Port Dickson as a tourist destination, help local entrepreneurs, and to raise funds for the children of armed forces personnel – with donations collected at the event being channelled to Persatuan Veteran ATM.

Neither Arief nor Azmi provided an exact figure for the cost of organising the concert, however. 

Azmi said that he is unaware of the specific breakdown of costs, since many of the tasks involved were subcontracted to locals in Port Dickson. 

“The most important point is that we want to help the local entrepreneurs, especially those in Port Dickson.

“This is our first pilot project in Port Dickson, and we want to show its potential to become a top tourism destination, like Batu Ferringhi or Langkawi,” he continued.

To help local entrepreneurs, Azmi said that he offered the space at the Port Dickson Waterfront for free to a contractor who then sought vendors. 

Five of the vendors – from Selangor, Kuala Lumpur and Johor – interviewed by Malaysiakini claimed that they paid RM1,000 rental for three days.

Last week, Bersih called on all Port Dickson by-election candidates to pledge their commitment towards a free and fair election.

The electoral watchdog urged all parties to not violate electoral laws, including by giving away free food and abusing government facilities during their respective campaigns.

On Thursday, outgoing Bersih acting chairperson Shahrul Aman Mohd Saari told The Malaysian Insight that the cost of organising Picnic @ PD was unclear, adding that the EC should ensure that no candidates were using the concert to fish for votes.