Minister denies gov't machinery abused in Cameron Highlands visits
CAMERON POLLS | Transport Minister Anthony Loke has denied that the visits by Pakatan Harapan ministers to Cameron Highlands were a misuse of government machinery to campaign for the forthcoming by-election.
Responding to criticism by Bersih chairperson Thomas Fann that the ministers' descent constituted an abuse of government resources, Loke questioned as to what resources were misused...
CAMERON POLLS | Transport Minister Anthony Loke has denied that the visits by Pakatan Harapan ministers to Cameron Highlands were a misuse of government machinery to campaign for the forthcoming by-election.
Responding to criticism by Bersih chairperson Thomas Fann that the ministers' descent constituted an abuse of government resources, Loke questioned as to what resources were misused.
"What did we abuse? Did we give any promise or sweetener? I went to Cameron Highlands yesterday in my capacity as the transport minister. The trip has nothing to do with the by-election.
"It just happens that there is a by-election. The trip had been planned for some time. It can't be (that) just for a by-election, we stop all activities and work.
“The people are expecting us to solve their problems, as a minister," Loke told reporters after attending an event in Bangsar, Kuala Lumpur, today.
He explained that his trip was planned as early as October last year, but he could only make it yesterday, as he had a packed schedule until the end of last year.
The DAP lawmaker said that the people cannot wait until the by-election is over for their problems to be solved.
"I went there just to listen, to address the problems they face. We (Harapan ministers) did not promise anything, or announce any project to fish for votes for Harapan.
"In fact, during the dialogue with industry players in Cameron Highlands, I asked the potential candidate (M Manogaran) not to turn up - I purposely asked him to not show up. You can check with any of them, my event was published on my Facebook page," Loke said.
Speaking to Malaysiakini yesterday, Fann (photo) had decried Harapan's "subtle campaigning", which he said, created an unequal playing field for candidates.
“If the by-election hadn’t been called, would they have gone up (to Cameron Highlands)? Or have they pre-planned this? It is very doubtful (that they have).
“All these visits and attention were because the by-election was called. And this was done not in their capacity as party (members), but in their capacity as the government," he had said.
Apart from Loke, Harapan lawmakers who had held ministerial events recently in Cameron Highlands were Deputy Prime Minister Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail, National Unity and Social Harmony Minister P Waythamoorthy, Human Resources Minister M Kulasegaran as well as Water, Land and Natural Resources Minister Dr Xavier Jayakumar.
A tight race is expected in the forthcoming by-election as BN had won Cameron Highlands with slim majorities in the last two general elections. The GE14 battle for the seat was won by MIC vice-president C Sivarraajh.
This will also be the first by-election, out of the four held since GE14, which is located in a BN-held state.
The by-election was triggered when the Election Court declared the seat vacant after determining that vote-buying during GE14 had led to Sivarraajh's win in GE14.
Aside from Manogaran, disputed MyPPP president M Kayveas has announced his intention to stand in the by-election, while BN is expected to name its candidate on Thursday.
