Najib denies Indian votes will give Harapan the edge in Cameron

CAMERON POLLS | Najib Abdul Razak has dismissed the claim by former Cameron Highlands MP C Sivarraajh that Pakatan Harapan has an edge with regard to Indian voters for the by-election this Saturday.

Regardless of whether Umno or MIC is contesting, the former premier said, people will still vote for the "BN spirit."

"No, I think MIC members also feel the BN spirit. If Umno is strong, Umno can help MIC.

"We also want to help the Orang Asli, that is why we did not field a Malay, but an Orang Asli, because there has never been an Orang Asli MP in Malaysian history," he told reporters during a visit to Kampung Raja.

BN is fielding Ramli Mohd Nor, a former senior police officer of the Semai tribe, as a direct candidate against Harapan's M Manogaran and two other independents.

Najib was responding to Sivarraajh telling Malaysiakini earlier today that Indian voters in Cameron Highlands are split between supporting Harapan and BN in the by-election.

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“In my opinion, there are Indian voters who are BN supporters and those who are Harapan supporters. 

"But the disappointment that it is not a MIC candidate who is contesting this time around will give Harapan an advantage,” he had said.

The MIC vice-president, however, acknowledged that fielding Ramli was the best move under the current circumstances.

In the May 9 general election, Sivarraajh won the seat with a majority of 587 votes against his nearest contender, Manogaran, in a five-way tussle.

Last November, the Election Court declared the results null and void due to corrupt practices, paving the way for the by-election.