PKR's Akmal invites Sanusi for football match in Sg Bakap

SG BAKAP BY-ELECTION | PKR’s Akmal Nasrullah Mohd Nasir has invited Perikatan Nasional election director Muhammad Sanusi Md Noor for a friendly football match in Sungai Bakap this Sunday.

He claimed Sanusi has avoided engaging in debates with the federal administration on infrastructure issues.

Akmal (above), who is PKR strategy director, said he made the invitation in view of the “people-friendly” persona the Kedah menteri besar is known for.

He hopes that the friendly game will encourage young voters to take an interest in issues faced by the state constituency as they head for the polls on July 6.

“I want to invite him (Sanusi). I want to send an invitation for next Sunday, I want to invite him to play football.

“Because if we invite him to debate, he doesn’t want to listen. If we invite him to discuss issues, he’s not interested,” Akmal told the audience during the Pakatan Harapan Sungai Bakap campaign rally last night.

Akmal’s remarks were a rebuff towards PN’s narrative of playing up the water supply issue in Sungai Bakap to engage the constituents, saying that Sanusi is a hypocrite as the latter is facing the same problem in Kedah.

Kedah’s unfinished water treatment plants

The deputy energy transition and water transformation minister also said his presence in Sungai Bakap was not merely for political campaigning as he will leave for Kedah to visit unfinished water treatment plant projects in the PAS-led state.

He expressed concern over the delayed completion of certain water treatment plans under the Kedah state government’s oversight, despite being granted extended deadlines.

“So, I want to openly extend my invitation to Sanusi to join me in my visit tomorrow (later today),” he stated, proposing a joint inspection of the facilities.

For nearly six years, certain areas of Sungai Bakap have been grappling with persistent water supply problems, taking the issue centre stage in the Sungai Bakap by-election campaign.

This matter particularly affects thousands of residents in Mukim 5, which is located in the Seberang Prai Selatan district.

In May, Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim announced that Perak had agreed to supply water to Penang and this development sparked hope among the residents that their long-standing water woes would finally come to an end.

Govt’s promise of running water

Following that, Akmal said the federal government has pledged to address the water issues in Sungai Bakap, regardless of the outcome of the July 6 by-election.

He said added that the government’s dedication to resolving the area’s water problems is not contingent on electoral success.

“We will never threaten (the people)... And we will not force voters to vote for our candidate.

“Even if our candidate is not elected, we will still help the people here,” he said.

However, later in his speech, Akmal advised constituents to vote for the Harapan candidate, Joohari Ariffin, as the latter would act as the bridge between the Sungai Bakap folk with the state and federal governments.

The upcoming Sungai Bakap state seat by-election in Penang will feature a head-to-head contest between PKR’s Joohari and Abidin Ismail, representing PN.

Polling for the by-election is on July 6.

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