Streram: I hope Dr M will campaign in Rantau
SEREMBAN: With four days to go before polling day, Pakatan Harapan candidate Dr S. Streram hopes Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad will stump for him and support the coalition’s campaign.
“As a candidate, I welcome anyone to come here.
“I hope Dr Mahathir comes (to Rantau) to show his support,” he said after a walkabout in Pekan Mambau here yesterday.
He was responding to a question on whether there was a need for Dr Mahathir to participate in PH’s campaign.
“From what I read in the papers, Dr Mahathir supports me, but I hope he will come here.”
In the Semenyih, Cameron Highlands and Port Dickson byelections, Dr Mahathir, who is Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (Bersatu) chairman, attended ceramah and stumped for PH candidates.
With the exception of Bersatu, leaders from DAP, Parti Amanah Negara and PKR had hit the campaign trail here.
State Bersatu chairman Tan Sri Rais Yatim, however, did attend PKR’s 20th anniversary celebrations at Dataran Rantau here last week.
PKR president Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim is one of the most active PH leaders in the campaign, having attended gatherings and ceramah almost every day.
“I was made to understand Anwar had met Dr Mahathir to give his view whether he should come. But I have no further comment.”
He said the arrival of PH leaders had boosted his campaign.
“They had addressed issues like the (poorly equipped) health clinics, the (unfinished 1Malaysia People’s Housing Scheme) housing project.”
During her visit here on Sunday, Housing and Local Government Minister Zuraida Kamaruddin assured constituents that the unfinished PR1MA project would be completed by May 2020, after a 16-month delay.
The by-election sees a four-cornered fight between Dr Streram, Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan (BN) and two independent candidates, R. Malarvizhi and Mohd Nor Yassin.
The by-election was called after the Federal Court dismissed an appeal filed by Mohamad to set aside an Election Court (EC) decision to declare his victory in the 14th General Election (GE14) null and void.
Mohamad had won the seat uncontested in May 2018 after Dr Streram was unable to submit his nomination papers after being denied entry into the nomination centre for not having a pass issued by the EC.
The seat has 20,926 registered voters, including 118 early voters and four absentee voters.
Polling for the by-election is on Saturday, with early voting held today.