DAY 13 | Volunteers fly hundreds of ballots from UK back to M’sia

DAY 13 | Polling day is just around with corner, with just two days left of campaigning for the six state elections.

Malaysiakini reports live from the ground.

KEY HIGHLIGHTS

• BN cries sabotage over racist banner

• PN will let you keep your shorts

• KJ endorses friend in Bertam

• Ku Li: change is coming to K’tan

• Zahid promises goodies for K’tan

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This concludes our live blog for the thirteenth day of the state polls campaign.

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Over 600 celebrate Anwar’s arrival in Ijok

10pm: Ijok, Selangor - Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim arrives in Ijok, Kuala Selangor for a ceramah where over 600 are in attendance.

Upon the Pakatan Harapan president’s arrival, the audience cheers “Reformasi”.

The emcee tells the crowd that today is Anwar’s birthday, and the audience belts out a birthday song to celebrate.

Anwar introduces Harapan and BN’s candidates who are contesting Ijok, Jeram, Bukit Melawati, Rawang, and Permatang, and claims that their lineup is more racially diverse.

He also refutes PN’s claims that he didn’t fulfil his responsibility as prime minister.

“This morning I attended a national conference, afternoon I was in my office, at night I come here, you know that?”

Hundreds of postal ballots en route from UK

10.30pm: London, United Kingdom - Two volunteers carrying 537 postal ballots collected from Malaysians living in the UK and Ireland are currently en route from Heathrow International Airport in London to Kuala Lumpur International Airport.

In a statement, the UK & Ireland chapter of the VoteMalaysia coalition said the ballot papers were gathered by 45 volunteers in 23 cities before being flown back to Malaysia, where they would be sorted and delivered by volunteers from Undi18 to their respective returning officers.

Compared to its efforts in the last general election, it says many students including those who have previously volunteered have now gone home for their summer break, so the focus this time is on professionals and the Malaysian diaspora.

“The varied demographic distribution of the Malaysian diaspora across the United Kingdom and Ireland poses a novel challenge that the VoteMalaysia UKE team is determined to overcome,” it says.

Undi 18 is expected to announce tomorrow evening the number of ballots it managed to help deliver from Malaysians abroad.

Hundreds at PN’s Bayan Lepas ceramah

10.15pm: Bayan Lepas, Penang - There are around 300 to 400 people attending PN’s ceramah in Bayan Lepas tonight.

PAS deputy president Tuan Ibrahim is present at this ceramah to show support to Gerakan president Dominic Lau, who is contesting Bayan Lepas under the PN banner.

Also present is Arau MP Shahidan Kassim, who urges the public to vote for the coalition.

PN denies putting up incendiary banner, blames opponents

9pm: Bangi, Selangor - Bersatu supreme council member Wan Saiful Wan Jan denies Perikatan Nasional’s involvement in putting up banners that say “This is Malay land (Tanah Melayu), this is our land, non-Malays merely live here (menumpang)” along with the PN logo.

“I strongly condemn the dirty campaign done by our opponents in several locations including the state constituencies of Balakong, Kajang, and Sungai Ramal in the parliamentary seat of Bangi.

“The racially provocative banners were put up by irresponsible parties with the purpose of giving the impression that PN placed those banners,” Wan Saiful says in a statement, adding that PN has been campaigning in a healthy and harmonious manner.

Describing it as a “dirty tactic”, he says this shows that their opponents are becoming desperate to the point of playing up racial sentiments.

As such, he hopes the rakyat can judge the actions of their opponents and reject those who use such campaign tactics.

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Gerakan candidate: PN won’t take your shorts away

9pm: Georgetown, Penang - Perikatan Nasional’s Kebun Bunga Candidate from Gerakan, Tan Zhen Zune, delivers a speech while wearing shorts to convince voters that voting for PN will not affect their right to wear shorts.

He assures the public of this during the Pentas Perdana Gerakan ceremah at Gerakan’s Penang headquarters tonight.

“Many people asked me, can they wear shorts if vote for me?” adding that such rhetoric was just Pakatan Harapan’s way to divert the people’s attention.

As of 9pm, there are around 80 people attending this event, and almost half of them are wearing PN vests.

According to an internal source, Gerakan president Dominic Lau will not be attending this event. 

Police deploy nearly 37,000 officers

8.30pm: Kuala Lumpur – Police have mobilised 36,492 officers and personnel to ensure the smooth running of the electoral process and everyone participating in it.

This includes tightening security at places such as state palaces once the election results are announced, according to Bernama, as these could become focal points for some parties.

“We don’t want the palace or the sultan to be disturbed in the middle of the night by anyone attempting to be sworn in.

“We will ensure the transition of the state government takes place in a peaceful manner, in accordance with the Constitution,” Inspector-General of Police Razarudin Husain reportedly tells a press conference at Bukit Aman.

Khairy endorses 'good friend' BN candidate for Bertam

6.35pm: Former Umno leader Khairy Jamaluddin urges voters in Bertam, Penang to vote for his "good friend" - BN candidate Reezal Merican Naina Merican.

"It's very important to go out and vote, as it's our duty to pick a worthy candidate. I know in Bertam, some are hesitant to vote for BN due to certain reasons. Put BN aside and look at Reezal, and vote for him.

"One vote for Reezal is only for him, and not for anyone else. He is a good friend of mine, and has vast experience in both Umno and in the government," Khairy says while accompanying Reezal on the latter's campaign trail in Kepala Batas.

Reezal shares a short video of Khairy's endorsement on his Facebook today.

Reezal will face incumbent Khaliq Mehtab Mohd Ishaq from Perikatan Nasional this Saturday.

‘Umno/BN still commands Malay support in N Sembilan’

4.10pm: Negeri Sembilan Umno chairperson Jalaluddin Alias has dismissed claims that Malay voters in the state will support Perikatan Nasional candidates in the state polls.

According to the BN candidate for Pertang, checks on the ground reveal that Malay support is still with BN and Umno.

"It's propaganda played up by PN. The trend of support in the last two general elections has shown that BN/Umno still commands Malay support.

"The voters are also beginning to understand and accept BN working with Pakatan Harapan," Utusan quotes Jalaluddin as saying during campaigning in Chennah, today.

Also present was DAP secretary-general Anthony Loke, who's contesting the Chennah seat.

PM: Kelantan gets better treatment under unity govt

2.20pm: Kuala Lumpur - Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim says his government has never marginalised Kelantan and the state actually receives the highest allocation from the federal government.

“In fact, all important views and suggestions from the state government, such as on flood mitigation, water issues, and state development, I accept and am committed to resolving them,” he says.

“The government’s allocation (to Kelantan) is more now than when PAS and Bersatu were in the government,” he was reported as saying by Bernama in Kuala Lumpur today.

He was responding to a claim by PAS assistant secretary-general Syahir Sulaiman in a debate with Economy Minister Rafizi Ramli yesterday.

Anwar says Kelantan PAS leaders, including young leaders like Syahir, should be brave to correct internal problems and provide suggestions for the state’s development.

Muda candidate reported for ‘fat-shaming’

1pm: Petaling Jaya, Selangor - Muda’s central leadership receives a disciplinary report over a remark made by its Bukit Gasing candidate VKK Raja Teagarajan against his Pakatan Harapan opponent Rajiv Rishyakaran.

The party’s deputy president Amira Aisya Abdul Aziz shares this on social media, in an apology to Rajiv.

She says most Muda members were not happy with Raja’s remark and that it did not reflect Muda’s values.

Raja, on social media, urged voters to pick him because although he is slightly older at age 44, he is fitter.

He deleted this post and apologised, after he was accused of “fat-shaming” Rajiv, who is 42.

‘Change is coming to Kelantan, PAS has failed’

12.05pm: Petaling Jaya, Selangor - An optimistic Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah believes the people of Kelantan are prepared to embrace change in the state election.

According to the Umno veteran, voters in Kelantan are attracted to the “34 offers” in Pakatan Harapan-BN’s manifesto.

“I believe the people will change the state government after seeing PAS’ failure to resolve issues affecting the rakyat, especially the water supply. PAS has been in power in Kelantan for 30 years.

“What can PAS do to convince the people if it is unable to prove its capabilities for the past 30 years?” he asked in an Utusan Malaysia report.

Tengku Razaleigh, who is popularly known as Ku Li, also told PAS not to be “arrogant” and recalled how he had helped the Islamist party wrest Kelantan in 1990.

In last November’s general election, the 86-year-old politician suffered a shocking upset when he lost his stronghold in Kelantan - the Gua Musang federal seat. Tengku Razaleigh had held the seat for a record 12 terms.

At the state level, Kelantan controls 37 out of the 45 seats.

More foreign, domestic investments if BN-Harapan wins in K’tan

10am: Pasir Puteh, Kelantan - The unity government assures that it will attract more foreign and domestic investments to Kelantan if the BN-Pakatan Harapan alliance wins the Aug 12 state election.

Deputy Prime Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi says that is one area BN-PH will focus on, besides the education sector and creating job opportunities for the people of Kelantan.

“We will bring more foreign investors to Kelantan and then provide job opportunities.

“We do not want Kelantan folk to be jobless and eventually have to go elsewhere to look for jobs,” Bernama reported him as saying when speaking at the Pasir Puteh BN-Harapan machinery and supporters gathering at Kampung Pulau Lima Uthmaniyah open hall yesterday.

Also present were Umno secretary-general Asyraf Wajdi Dusuki, Kelantan Umno chairperson Ahmad Jazlan Yaakub and Pasir Puteh division chief Zawawi Othman.

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8am: Sungai Burong, Selangor - PAS’ Sungai Burong candidate Mohd Zamri Mohd Zainuldin urges voters at a ceramah last night to "turn sadness into happiness" by ensuring his victory.

He reveals he is still grieving for his father, who passed away one day before nomination day.

"I’m still in grief because my father passed away one day before the nomination day, but I am happy to see you all here.

"On Aug 12, we vote out Harapan and BN, to change this sadness into happiness," the Tanjong Karang PAS chief says.

He also claims Perikatan Nasional is gaining traction among the Indian Malaysian community in Sungai Burong, who have set up a polling district-level operations room for the coalition.

Harapan-BN risks losing 7 seats as 'Sanusi factor' drives support for PN

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Penang PAS Youth decries 'fraudulent' plans to win state polls