Day 13 | GE15 debutante tells of voters’ messages of support

GE15 LIVE DAY 13 | It’s the 13th day of the 15th general election campaign and there are only two days left before voters go out to cast their ballots.

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

GE15 debutante tells of voters’ messages of support

11.50pm: Sepang, Selangor - Pakatan Harapan's Putrajaya candidate Noraishah Mydin Abdul Aziz says some civil servants have messaged her to pledge their support this 15th general election (GE15).

The spina bifida researcher at Universiti Malaya, who makes her debut in GE15, says she gave her number to every constituent she meets to get to know the problems they face.

"I gave my contact number to everyone I came across and they never disappoint me.

"I received text messages every day and some said, 'We are civil servants and we can't be with you at your campaign trail. But trust us that we are with you'," she says.

Noraishah is speaking during a ceramah at Padang Desa Pinggiran Putra in Sepang, adjacent to the Putrajaya seat.

The crowd of about 700 includes civil servants who are also here to listen to PKR deputy president and Pandan candidate Rafizi Ramli.

Rafizi says he is seeing a reappearance of the polical tide that resulted in Harapan's victory in 2018.

He says the public is responding positively to Harapan as over 100,000 have watched Harapan ceramah broadcasted on social media.

He is confident the coalition can emerge as the single largest bloc in GE15.

"Securing 90 to 95 seats will allow us to form a government even if we do not get a simple majority," he says.

Earlier, the audience was seen bidding PBM candidate for Ampang Zuraida Kamaruddin farewell.

This came after Ampang PKR chief Hans Isaac said in his speech that he will not vote for Zuraida this time.

"I have voted for her in the last three general elections, but not this time," he said.

Zuraida left PKR in 2020 for Bersatu. This year, she joined Parti Bangsa Malaysia.

Deputy PM from Sabah won't ensure people's welfare

11.45pm: Tawau, Sabah - At least 500 people are at Warisan's mega ceramah at Pasar Sin Onn in Tawau.

Warisan president and Semporna candidate Mohd Shafie Apdal says Warisan is the best party to care for the rights of Sabahans.

He says the party will not fall for offers to appoint a deputy prime minister, because that will not guarantee the welfare of Sabahans.

"You, in Tawau, will remain poor (even with a deputy prime minister from Sabah). What we want is for the Malaysia Agreement 1963 to be honoured so we can get oil royalties and other income to go straight to Sabah's coffers," he says to cheers from the audience.

Don't let robber govt thrive, Titiwangsa candidate says

11.30pm: Titiwangsa, Kuala Lumpur – Pakatan Harapan’s Titiwangsa candidate Khalid Abdul Samad ends his ceramah to about 300 people crowding outside shophouses in Desa Pandan, then gets surrounded by requests to take pictures with him.

In his speech, he reminded voters not to choose MPs who collude with corrupt governments.

“If BN wins again, our country will be a disaster for the next five years because the culture of ‘cash is king’, of misappropriation, of robbery, of theft, will thrive.

“We have to ensure the country is ruled with wisdom,” he said.

He said after contesting in elections eight times before winning in Shah Alam in 2008, this is his first time encountering a candidate like BN’s Johari Abdul Ghani, whom he accused of “twisting” many issues particularly on land ownership in Kampung Sungai Baru.

Incumbent MP says he has same watch, shoes for years

11pm: Lembah Pantai, Kuala Lumpur - If Pakatan Harapan wins the general election and he is appointed a cabinet minister, all of his salary will be put into a fund to solve issues faced by the electorate in Lembah Pantai, the coalition's candidate Fahmi Fadzil pledges.

Speaking at a makeshift stage in Lucky Garden to several hundred boisterous supporters, the chemical engineer who has won awards for his work in the arts, says he did not enter politics for money.

"When I started in 2008, the party asked me to declare my assets and I had around RM1.2 million and to contest (in GE15) I had to declare my assets and it's RM1.2 million.

"You wouldn't want to invest in me if I had an investment portfolio," he says to laughter from the audience, which includes his mother, wife, and young son.

The Harapan stage is set up close to the BN stage, from which loud music can be heard.

The incumbent MP also points to his Casio watch, which he says he has worn since he first campaigned for PKR in Lembah Pantai in 2008, and sneakers that he has worn since 2018, as proof he has not used his position to enrich himself.

In the 2008 general election, PKR defeated BN there for the first time, sending Nurul Izzah Anwar to Parliament.

Goodie bags and tablets at BN event

10.30pm: Bagan Datuk, Perak - Notable preacher Ebit Lew attends a campaign event for BN's Bagan Datuk candidate Ahmad Zahid Hamidi tonight.

The Meet with Bagan Datuk Youth programme sees over 400 participants and began at around 8.45pm at the Bagan Datuk Waterfront.

Several individuals in BN t-shirts are seen distributing goodie bags sporting the BN logo to attendees. However, Malaysiakini is unable to determine the contents of the bags.

Zahid has not been spotted yet.

Meanwhile, Ebit is presenting aid in the form of tablet computers to needy school children.

Overseas ballots being sorted in KL

10.15pm: Kuala Lumpur - Volunteers are sifting through piles of postal ballots brought home from abroad by Malaysians returning on commercial flights.

The ballots are being brought from Kuala Lumpur International Airport to a makeshift sorting centre at the Kuala Lumpur and Selangor Chinese Assembly Hall.

Other volunteers will later bring the ballots to the respective returning officers at the various polling stations before voting closes at 5pm on Nov 19.

The sorting is expected to continue through the night until tomorrow evening when a press conference will be held to announce the results of the endeavour.

Festive atmosphere at Cheras food truck park

10pm: There is a festive mood as thousands gather near the Tapak Urban Street Dining ‘food truck park’ at Bandar Tasik Permaisuri, Cheras for a Pakatan Harapan ceramah.

Malaysiakini estimates at least 3,000 thronging the event, where opposition chief Anwar Ibrahim is expected to deliver his speech to Bandar Tun Razak voters.

Anwar's wife Wan Azizah Wan Ismail, who is a former PKR president, is contesting the Bandar Tun Razak parliamentary seat.

She is facing incumbent MP Kamarudin Jaffar, who won the seat in 2018 on a PKR ticket before defecting in 2020 and is now contesting under Perikatan Nasional, as well as BN's Chew Yin Keen.

'This is the KJ effect'

9.55pm: Pakatan Harapan is harping on character assassination rather than speaking about policies that will affect Sungai Buloh, said BN’s candidate for the seat Khairy Jamaluddin.

He accuses Harapan leaders of being "obsessed" with Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, and that they often mention his name in their ceramah to make BN look bad, instead of noting the advantages of Harapan’s own candidate.

Khairy claims many constituents in Sungai Buloh, who previously never "dreamed" of voting for BN, are changing their minds to vote for him over Harapan candidate R Ramanan.

"This is the KJ effect," he said, to cheers from the crowd.

Heavy traffic as voters start heading home

9pm: The GE15 exodus is starting, with heavy traffic on highways leading away from major cities.

According to Bernama, traffic has built up more than 10km from Sungai Buloh to Rawang. Traffic has also built up from Tanjung Malim to Behrang, Sungkai to Bidor, Tapah to Gopeng and Juru Auto City to Perai.

Roads leading from the Klang Valley to the East Coast are likewise congested, the report says, quoting a Malaysian Highway Authority spokesperson.

In a separate report, Bernama says major transportation hubs around the city such as the Kuala Lumpur International Airport, Terminal Bersepadu Selatan, and KL Sentral are also seeing a hive of activity since noon.

BN’s JB candidate feels inspired by Johor unity

8.10pm: With less than 24 hours left before campaigning ends, BN’s Johor Bahru candidate Johan Ropi attends a function by local Indian associations, together with Johor Mentri Besar Onn Hafiz Ghazi, Larkin assemblyperson Mohd Khairi Mat Shah and Johor Bahru Umno division chief Shahrir Samad.

"Everything is still new to me," says Johan, crediting Shahrir as the political mentor of many Umno aspirants in Johor.

"Seeing all of you here gives me strength that Johor has as special 'fabric' in unity among races," he adds.

Vote for the govt you dream of, Anwar says

6pm: In an address live-streamed on his social media, PKR president Anwar Ibrahim reminds the people of the power of their votes.

“Every five years, you have the power to decide the direction of the country, to decide on a government you dream of. Use the democratic power in our hands well,” he says.

Waxing lyrical on how great the country used to be, Anwar compares it to the current situation where the nation is losing ground on the international stage with a struggling economy, rising inflation and decreasing quality of education, among others.

Harapan, he says, is committed to creating a stable government by respecting the Federal Constitution and producing leaders that are passionate about serving the rakyat and who reject corruption.

With such a government, they would be able to resolve the issues mentioned earlier, Anwar asserts.

Possible for PN to grab 16 MP seats in Pahang, Saifuddin says

6.20pm: PN is confident of achieving its target of winning 16 parliamentary seats in GE15, based on PAS’ narrow losses to BN the last time around.

Pahang PN chairperson Saifuddin Abdullah said in GE14, PAS ended up being “bridesmaids” in 11 parliamentary seats with slim margins, and he believes this could change in PN’s favour based on increasing support for the coalition of late.

“In GE14, PAS went in solo and faced three-cornered fights, but now there are even state seats where increased support for PN is quite evident,” he told reporters at the Indera Mahkota parliamentary office today.

Also present were Pahang PAS commisioner Rosli Abdul Jabar and state Gerakan chairperson Ranndy Yap Kim Heng.

He says grounds reports suggest that support for PN in the Felda settlements was also rising.

In GE14, PAS won eight state seats, while the seats that the party lost with less than 600 votes were Cheka, Benta, Pulau Tawar and Kuala Semantan.

Pahang has 42 state seats and in GE14, BN won 25, while Harapan took nine.

Meanwhile, Rosli foresees no problems if PAS deputy president Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man, despite him also contesting the Kubang Kerian parliamentary seat in Kelantan, is appointed Pahang menteri besar should PN form the state government.

“If he is the menteri besar, then, of course, he will spend more time in Pahang, and when he isn’t, PAS has the machinery to assist him where needed,” he says.

Syahredzan answers voters’ FAQ using short videos

6pm: Pakatan Harapan's Bangi candidate Syahredzan Johan answers frequently asked questions by first-time voters through a series of short videos lasting more than a minute each.

The questions include why one should vote, whether one should vote for a candidate or a party and how to find out where to vote.

The videos, where the lawyer casually and succinctly answers this question, uploaded on social media, have been viewed more than 10,000 times.

Among the reasons to vote is to make sure power is not held by MPs who are "power crazy", the DAP member says.

Anwar wants Bernas to share their profits with farmers

6pm: Shah Alam, Selangor - Paddy farmer woes will be among the first things Pakatan Harapan chairperson Anwar Ibrahim will address if he takes office in Putrajaya.

He tells a crowd joining him for afternoon tea at Section 16, Shah Alam that he will ask Bernas to share their RM300,000 or RM400,000 of their half-billion ringgit annual profits with paddy farmers.

He says he needs one week to recalibrate the government machinery before getting to his list of priorities.

Only 2 candidates join debate in Penang

5.10pm: Batu Kawan, Penang - Only two out of five candidates participate in a debate today at Auto-City which started at 3pm.

They are Perikatan Nasional’s Wong Chia Zhen and Warisan’s Ong Chin Wen.

Both are asked to share their contact numbers during the live-broadcasted debate in order for the people to contact them directly once either of them is elected as the MP for the constituency.

Meanwhile, Lee Ah Liang from Parti Rakyat Malaysia leaves the debate early due to his busy schedule.

Other candidates, Penang Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow, who represents Pakatan Harapan, and Tan Lee Huat from BN have refused to participate from the beginning.

About 300 people tune in to this debate, which is moderated by lawyer Ang Woei Shang.

Gerakan president Dominic Lau also turns up at the venue, but as an audience.

TNB cautions against excavation works on polling day

5pm: Tenaga Nasional Bhd (TNB) has requested the cooperation of all concerned parties to refrain from any excavation works on polling day this Saturday to avoid possible power outages due to cable damage, Bernama reports.

TNB chief distribution network officer Wan Nazmy Wan Mahmood in a statement today says TNB itself has postponed such works from yesterday, in addition to focusing on ensuring supply stability throughout GE15, especially on the night of the election results.

TNB has prepared to ensure that the electricity supply to all 6,623 polling centres and 165 vote tallying centres throughout the peninsula will be stable on polling day.

Bung Moktar: Choose party that can bring change

4.40pm: BN and its partner Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) are the best parties that can bring change and development, hence providing a better future for Sabah, says the state BN chairperson Bung Moktar Radin, as reported by Bernama.

He says Sabah voters need to make a wise choice on polling day this Saturday by choosing a party that is capable of realising that wish, and not based on religion or sentiment alone.

"BN-GRS candidates are able to bring better change and development in Sabah if they are given the mandate in GE15 because we are the state government’s candidates. Our win will contribute to BN's victory as a whole to form a new federal government.

"This certainly gives us the advantage to bring development to Sabah. Thus, the people of Sabah need to choose BN and GRS candidates on polling day this Saturday," he tells reporters after his campaign trail in Kampung Tanjung Aru today.

Subsidised food items up for grabs in Shah Alam

3pm: Shah Alam, Selangor - At least 1,000 residents in Section 16 will benefit from the Jelajah Ehsan Selangor selling provisions at lower than market price.

A crowd gathers in this old part of Shah Alam while waiting for Pakatan Harapan chairperson Anwar Ibrahim to join them for afternoon tea.

Subsidised by the Selangor state, 800 chickens go on sale here at RM10 each.

Other items in stock are 300 eggs at RM10 per tray, 300 pieces of beef at RM10 per kg, 300 bags of 5kg rice each selling at RM10 and 300 bottles of 5kg cooking oil at RM25 each.

Chief executive officer Mohamad Khairil Mohamad Razi said RM12 million was allocated between September and December to subsidise these essential food items.

The effort under the Selangor Agriculture Development Corporation is on a daily road trip across the state covering at least nice districts each day.

Check out their next location of social media accounts on Facebook, Twitter, TikTok and Instagram.

KJ’s got the moves, Syed Saddiq less so

1pm: Videos of election candidates dancing on the campaign trail have gone viral on social media.

A video clip of Sungai Buloh candidate Khairy Jamaluddin dancing with Tamil music group Lockup, who were popular in the 1990s, is circulating on social media platforms TikTok and Facebook.

The video clip from an event last night is also circulating on WhatsApp.

Similarly, a clip of Muda’s Muar candidate Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman joining a joget event is gaining some views on TikTok.

But the clip of Syed Saddiq, who appeared out of step, is unable to gain as much attention.

CM denies Sabah govt marginalising Chinese community

12.30pm: Chief Minister Hajiji Noor has denied Warisan’s allegation that the Sabah government is marginalising the Chinese community, especially in the administration of the state, Bernama reports.

He says the state government led by Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) and BN really wants to appoint individuals from the community as ministers in the state cabinet, but no Chinese candidates from the government parties won in the 16th Sabah polls held in 2020.

However, he says the state government had appointed two former Chief Ministers from among the Chinese community to hold important positions, namely Yong Teck Lee as an appointed member of the state legislative assembly, and Chong Kah Kiat as the chief minister's adviser for the tourism sector.

Hajiji adds that what should be prioritised right now are efforts to revive the economy and develop Sabah for the benefit of the people as a whole.

On Monday (Nov 14), Warisan president Shafie Apdal in a ceramah in Putatan questioned the efforts of the GRS-BN-led Sabah government to champion the plight of the Chinese when no one from that race was appointed as a minister in the state cabinet.

KJ to lodge report over viral WhatsApp screenshot

9am: BN’s Sungai Buloh candidate Khairy Jamaluddin says he will lodge a report with the police and the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) over a viral screenshot of a WhatsApp conversation allegedly between him and an unknown person.

“Fake. No need to spread such black ops, ‘source: trust me bro’ accusations like this. A police and MCMC report will be lodged, including against this account,” Khairy says in a Twitter posting.

He is referring to an account which posted the screenshot of the WhatsApp conversation, which has since been deleted.

In the screenshot, the messages were sent from a contact named ‘Boss KJ’ who appeared to be instructing someone to sabotage BN’s Rembau candidate Mohamad Hasan, who is also Umno deputy president.

The person who sent the messages also claimed that he would be prime minister within five years, and criticised caretaker prime minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob as useless.

DAP’s Jelutong MP Rayer in Sarawak’s immigration blacklist

7.30am: Kampar, Perak - DAP chairperson Lim Guan Eng has called on the Sarawak government to explain why it barred incumbent Jelutong MP RSN Rayer from entering the state.

“Normally, this power (banning someone from entering the state) is exercised to ensure the stability, security and safety of Sarawakians.

“But I never know that Rayer was such a threat to Sarawak. I want to know what type of threat Rayer poses.

“I hope this incident can allow the Sarawakians to rise up and be aware that they cannot continue to support the government that abuses power for its benefit,” he said during a Harapan ceramah at Kampar last night.

According to DAP, Rayer was stopped by immigration officials on landing at the Kuching airport yesterday evening and was told he was on the state’s immigration blacklist since 2016.

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