Day 6 | Mat Kilau poster calls for 'Malay unity' in Sg Buloh

GE15 LIVE DAY 6 | It's the sixth day of the 15th general election campaign, and there are eight more to go before voters head to the ballot box.

Follow our live blog as the Malaysiakini team brings you the news as it takes place.

Slight drizzle as Loke touts Anwar for PM

9.30pm - Taiping, Perak: About 500 people are at Harapan’s mega ceramah in Taiping tonight despite a slight drizzle.

Almost all chairs are filled and a majority of the attendees are middle-aged or elderly.

DAP secretary-general Anthony Loke is the main speaker, along with Taiping candidate Wong Kah Woh and Aulong candidate Teh Kok Lim.

Loke urges voters to support Harapan as the coalition has the best prime minister candidate compared to BN and Perikatan Nasional (PN).

“Anwar Ibrahim is the best choice among the three coalitions.

“Why? Because Ahmad Zahid Hamidi from Umno is corrupted and Muhyiddin Yassin from PN is a traitor!

“But Anwar is a leader for all,” he stresses.

Liew: 70pct turnout needed to win Johor

9pm: Ayer Hitam, Johor - State DAP chief Liew Chin Tong says for Pakatan Harapan to win Johor in GE15, at least 70 percent voter turnout would be required.

However, citing Francis Hutchinson’s research published by Iseas recently, Liew reiterates that BN’s victory in the state election last March was because of the fixed pool of voters of around 600,000.

“We must remember that the Johor state election has 800,000 more voters compared to GE14 in 2018. But the number of votes BN received was just an increase of 17,000 votes compared to 2018.

“By percentage points, the BN vote share was a huge decline in the state election, but indeed they still won by a two-third majority since the turnout rate was very, very low.

“I’m not sure if the 600,000 votes are still with BN since from what I’ve seen nationally, and from the poll over the last few weeks, Umno’s Malay support has been on the decline since the Parliament dissolution on Oct 10,” Liew says.

Yeoh and Saddiq at ceramah in Muar

8:40pm - Muar, Johor: DAP leader and Segambut candidate Hannah Yeoh holds a talk covering the basics of Malaysia’s parliamentary system.

She also explains the infamous Sheraton Move - which led to the downfall of the Pakatan Harapan federal government in 2020 - by cheekily making Muda candidate Syed Saddiq Abdul Rahman represent a Bersatu “political frog”.

Bersatu was the party Syed Saddiq contested under in 2018 and was later ousted from in 2020.

Also present is Harapan’s Bakri candidate Tan Hong Pin.

Malaysiakini understands tonight’s event is for first-time youth voters. However, a majority of the attendees are middle-aged or older.

Perak govt considering polling eve holiday

8.30pm: Ipoh, Perak - Perak is reportedly considering whether to follow suit with Selangor, Negeri Sembilan, Penang’s move to declare a state holiday for polling day eve on Nov 18.

Bernama quotes caretaker menteri besar Saarani Mohamad saying that an announcement is expected on Monday, but it is unclear who has locus standi to make the announcement.

“This is unlike Selangor where the menteri besar can do it because the Selangor state assembly has not been dissolved. In Perak can the caretaker (menteri besar) announce it? The desire to declare (a holiday) is there,” he tells a press conference at a Perak BN gathering.

Mat Kilau poster urging ‘Malay unity’ seen in Sg Buloh

7:38pm: Sungai Buloh, Selangor - A poster with quotes from the ‘Mat Kilau’ film was seen hanging near Subang Bestari Petronas station.

The poster reads: “Malays can’t beat their enemies because your race is breaking apart. Never united, therefore you are weak.”

According to the banner, the quote was from Kaptain Sayers in the movie, while the banner is prepared by “Sungai Buloh residents”.

The banner has Umno, Bersatu, and PAS logos on it. Umno candidate Khairy Jamaluddin and PAS candidate Mohd Ghazali Md Hamim are two of the contestants in Sungai Buloh.

Sg Buloh candidates postpone schedules due to floods

6:21pm: Sungai Buloh, Selangor - The rain has led to flash floods in several areas, including Kampung Melayu Subang which is within the Sungai Buloh constituency.

BN and Pakatan Harapan candidates have postponed their original schedules to visit the flooding areas.

Umno candidate Khairy Jamaluddin's team told the media that the outgoing health minister is going to Kampung Melayu Subang.

Meanwhile, PKR candidate R Ramanan is heading to Taman Setia Warisan, which is adjacent to Kampung Melayu Subang, according to his Facebook live video.

BN Segambut candidate denies dodging corruption questions

5.45pm: Segambut, Kuala Lumpur - BN’s Segambut candidate Daniel Ling reportedly denies running from pointed questions from a voter regarding corruption, after a video of the exchange went viral on social media.

According to Guangming Daily, Ling says the video has been cut and does not give a full picture of the situation.

“In reality, I have reiterated twice that I do not condone corruption, but this conversation had been cut off,” he reportedly tells reporters while campaigning at a Segambut wet market.

As if to back his claims, Ling also posts a video on Facebook showing his exchange with the voter Karen from a different angle.

The video lasts 8 minutes and 21 seconds - substantially longer than the two-minute video that had gone viral earlier.

Harapan candidate throws durian party in Balik Pulau

5.35pm: Balik Pulau, Penang - Pakatan Harapan incumbent MP Muhammad Bakhtiar Wan Chik holds a durian party this evening at the playground beside Kolej Kemahiran Tinggi Mara Balik Pulau.

His colleagues in PKR, Sim Tze Tsin (Bayan Baru candidate), Nurul Izzah Anwar (Permatang Pauh candidate), and Fadhlina Sidek (Nibong Tebal candidate) are the special guests at the event.

About 100 people attend the event with durian and food served. There’s also a music performance during the party.

BN candidate: Permatang Pauh can't keep up with the Anwars

5pm: Permatang Pauh has been represented by Anwar Ibrahim, his wife and his daughter for 40 years but things are still the same, says BN candidate Mohd Zaidi Mohd Said.

"Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail was the deputy prime minister for 22 months. She did nothing for the people of Permatang Pauh. There were no infrastructure projects undertaken by the family," Zaidi tells Malaysiakini.

Conversely, Zaidi says Reezal Merican Naina Merican of BN, who is also the Kepala Batas MP and the housing and local government minister, had secured housing projects for the poor, a sports complex and a new mosque project for his constituency in just 17 months.

Speaking to reporters later, incumbent Permatang Pauh MP Nurul Izzah Anwar says her challenger's allegations were not true.

She says during her tenure, she secured a community hall worth RM3.2 million, a new preschool block for SK Pauh Jaya worth RM1.9 million and upgraded a mosque at Kampung Pertama.

Voter schools BN candidate for Segambut

2pm: A clip of BN’s candidate for Segambut Daniel Ling being schooled by a voter has gone viral on social media.

In the two-minute video believed to have been taken by the voter, she stresses the importance of voting in a political coalition that pledges to eliminate corruption.

Concurring, Ling says the country needs a stable government which will attract foreign investors and bring jobs as well as prosperity.

"We had a conversation just now. What I want to say is Malaysians must vote in GE15… We must drain the swamp and corruption must be gone because this is the future of Malaysia," says the voter who only introduces herself as Karen.

Ling replies: "Of course, we do not want corruption, we want fair government, we want stable government. We want the government to be stable so that investors can come in..."

Karen responds: “That sounds good. We want to ask BN, what have you done for Malaysia in the past 50-odd years? We have lost a lot of money."

Ling then says he will try his best to serve the Segambut parliamentary constituency if he is given an opportunity but within his limitation.

"When I was young, my mum always said not to promise something you cannot do as you may risk losing the confidence, and the trust of the people, and you may lose your reputation and image too. My mother said at the end, I will also lose my face," Ling adds.

Karen replies: "My parents also taught me not to steal money and things. But in Malaysia, we are corrupted, you know?"

The video then ends abruptly as Ling makes a move.

Anwar accuses Ismail of playing up racial politics

1.50pm: Pakatan Harapan's premier candidate Anwar Ibrahim has accused his BN rival Ismail Sabri Yaakob of engaging in racial politics.

This is after Ismail Sabri told Ayer Hitam voters not to be fooled by DAP's attempts to field a Malay candidate in the seat and alleging the party to be the dominant power in Harapan.

Anwar says a prime minister should represent all Malaysians, and that Ismail Sabri's use of the 'Keluarga Malaysia' slogan shows this.

"We are ashamed that a top leader is not ready to debate, but is ok with racial politics," he tweets.

Ismail Sabri had rejected Anwar's challenge to a debate, saying it was not part of Malaysian culture.

Perak urged to declare Nov 18 public holiday

1.20pm: Taiping, Perak - DAP’s Aulong candidate Teh Kok Lim urges the Perak government to follow three other states in declaring Nov 18 as a public holiday.

During a walkabout at Larut Matang hawker centre this afternoon, Teh says this is important to allow ample time for Perak outstation voters to come back and vote on the Nov 19 polling day.

“If we can declare a holiday after winning a football match, why can’t we declare a holiday for the election as well? This issue is related to everyone,” he adds.

Penang, Negeri Sembilan and Selangor have already declared Nov 18 as a public holiday.

Saw slams Sim for debate conditions

1.10pm: Bayan Baru, Penang - BN candidate Saw Yee Fung has criticised Pakatan Harapan incumbent MP Sim Tze Tzin for setting conditions and thresholds for a debate.

On Monday, Sim agreed to debate but requested it to be aired on national TV, with the participation of all Bayan Baru candidates.

He also set a scope for the debate, which is to just focus on national issues.

According to Saw, Gerakan Belia 4B Bayan Baru has offered to host the debate on Nov 13.

Rashid denies ‘begging’ Anwar for Dewan Rakyat post

1pm: Batu Pahat incumbent Rashid Hasnon denies begging Anwar Ibrahim to appoint him as Dewan Rakyat deputy speaker.

“That’s enough of lying to the people. They’re not stupid, they won’t be duped by fairy tales that make it seem as though he’s so powerful and can make decisions like that.

“Because, at the time, (Anwar) was nothing more than an MP,” FMT quotes him as saying.

Rashid says it was then-prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad who proposed him as a deputy speaker in 2018.

‘Imperative to not engage in unethical moves’

11.30am: With International Fraud Awareness Week kicking off on Nov 13 worldwide, the Malaysian chapter of the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners (ACFE) said it comes at a particularly crucial time for the country as it heads to the polls on Nov 19.

Specifically, electoral fraud comes in various shapes of voter suppression, vote-buying, non-existent or illegal votes or any illegal activities that infringe the integrity of the election process.

It said it is imperative that the record number of 945 candidates do not, in any way or form, engage in unethical activities that may violate the Election Offences Act 1954.

“With the International Fraud Awareness Week coinciding with the period of the general election in Malaysia, it provides an avenue for all candidates to ‘walk the talk’ and demonstrate exemplary conduct in their campaign efforts.

“This in turn will encourage and inspire others to champion the need to proactively fight fraud and do all that is necessary to achieve Malaysia’s aspiration to be a corrupt-free nation,” says its president Akhbar Satar in a statement today.

Yeo on IOI links: C4 will never be satisfied

11am: Puchong candidate Yeo Bee Yin claims she will never be able to satisfy graft watchdog Centre to Combat Corruption and Cronyism (C4), which is hounding her over an alleged conflict of interest.

“No matter how much I answer, they will shift to another ‘goal post’,” FMT quotes her as saying last night.

C4 wants the DAP leader to explain how she would balance her links with IOI Group Bhd and public interest, even if the group does not have properties inside the boundaries of the constituency.

The Pakatan Harapan candidate says that despite being wed to group CEO Lee Yeow Seng, she has remained professional as an elected representative and that her track record as an MP and a minister clearly shows that.

“Have I ever done anything that C4 has suddenly assumed I would do?” she asks.

Sepang incumbent Hanipa campaigns for Aiman

10.30am: Amanah's incumbent Sepang MP Hanipa Maidin is campaigning for his colleague Aiman Athirah al-Jundi despite being dropped as a candidate in the constituency.

"I have no problem in meeting Pakatan Harapan's machinery and voters in Sepang," he said.

Hanipa has been seen out and about meeting the people in Kampung Abu Bakar Baginda and Taman Desa Vista.

Penang declares Nov 18 public holiday

10am: Penang joins Negeri Sembilan and Selangor in declaring Nov 18 as a public holiday to encourage voters to turn up at the polling booth the next day.

Penang Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow made the announcement today.

Incidentally, Penang, Negeri Sembilan and Selangor have yet to dissolve their respective legislative assemblies.

Billboard contractors in ‘fast and furious’ car chase

9am: Three contractors working on BN billboards in Johor Bahru at 4am yesterday were reportedly victims of a ‘fast and furious’ car chase.

Their vehicle was allegedly chased and repeatedly rammed by another vehicle, forcing the contractors to hide in the bushes for 20 minutes to evade the assailants.

MCA candidate for Tebrau Wong Siaw Ting made the matter public yesterday and urged eyewitnesses to step forward.

Yesterday, police said it received 22 reports on alleged election offences including reports from Pakatan Harapan, BN, Warisan and Pejuang on damaged or missing flags. There was also a "cover report" by Perikatan Nasional in Pendang, after it spotted Harapan flags burning near the PN campaign base there.

Other police reports were about "defamatory" social media posts against candidates or parties, while another was about a candidate allegedly giving voters bags of rice.

Army denies minister allowed to campaign in camps

7am: The Malaysian Army denies its chief Zamrose Mohd Zain made a statement allowing Senior Defence Minister Hishammuddin Hussein to campaign in army camps, saying that a “manipulated” Bernama report quoting the general is being circulated online.

"This statement has been circulating on Whatsapp, and it is inappropriate because it is considered to be spreading fake news. The army views this issue seriously and would like to stress that the statement is false and considered as spreading malicious elements by the parties involved," Bernama quotes the army as saying.

The army’s statement says the actual report only quoted the general reminding army personnel not to get involved in election campaigning because it is in violation of armed forces rules, though he also emphasised that each service member has the right to vote for a candidate of their choice.

COMMENT | Harapan should campaign on its manifesto, not anti-Zahid rhetoric

In Ayer Hitam, DAP's Malay-candidate gambit not paying dividends yet

COMMENT | 10 direct consequences of a BN-PN victory

BN candidate: Harapan's Penang stronghold can be breached

Muda’s debutante in Tg Karang hopes BN’s split may tip the balance

YOURSAY | Sg Buloh voters, one swallow doesn't make a summer