PD POLLS | PKR strategic communications chief Fahmi Fadzil has suggested that harping on Anwar Ibrahim's candidacy by alleging he failed to secure a royal free pardon is tantamount to being disloyal to the Yang di-Pertuan Agong.

"We need to respect the status of the Agong who granted a full pardon for Anwar," he said.

"They should not dispute the royal decree and His Majesty's right to grant a pardon as enshrined under the Federal Constitution unless they want to be disloyal," he told a press conference in Port Dickson today.

Fahmi was asked on how Pakatan Harapan would react if PAS continues to question Anwar's candidacy during the remaining three days of the election campaign.

PAS maintains that Anwar is not eligible to contest the Port Dickson by-election as the Agong only granted Anwar a “full pardon” and not a “free pardon”.

The Islamist party said if it secures the second highest number of votes in the by-election, it could potentially win if Anwar is declared an ineligible candidate by the courts.

This as a registered voter in Port Dickson has filed an originating summons against Anwar’s candidacy with case management fixed for today.

Not like BN

On another matter, Fahmi said he believed Election Commission chairperson Azhar Harun was merely issuing a reminder when he said the results of the by-election could be invalidated if announcements of development projects in Port Dickson and other pledges were made.

In regards to this, Harapan has not breached any election campaigning laws in its election campaign, said the Lembah Pantai MP.

He also pointed out that in the previous election petitions, the courts ruled that an election offence was only committed when it was proven that money was paid to that particular voter.

The courts found there was no problem with development projects or pledges being announced to a group of people, according to Fahmi.

He brushed off criticisms that Harapan's election campaigning to date was similar to that of BN's when the latter was still in power.

"That is a very big misconception and misperception as our ethos and spirit is definitely not 'cash is king' [...] we believe people hold the key to change, not money," he said.