Candidate denies he’s sponsored by PKR
Independent candidate Mohd Shukri Mohd Ramli has denied that he is being sponsored by PKR or any other political party to run in the Chini by-election.
The blogger, who is known by his online moniker “Cucumatkilau”, said he would lodge reports with the police and Election Commission after an image appeared on social media which claimed that he was a PKR member.
“The PKR logo has been put under my photo while Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia’s logo was placed under the second independent candidate’s photo.
“This is being made to confuse the voters in Chini as though I have been sponsored by PKR,” he said here yesterday.
Shukri said he had not been with PKR for nine years and his membership had been revoked.
“I am contesting as an independent activist who has come here to defend the people and also to raise issues that have been overlooked.
“I am disappointed by this act of slander.
“Why do they have to slander an independent candidate who has no power to buy the people with money?” he said.
“I am not afraid of losing. I have lost several times and have never won. What is there to be afraid of?
“Even though Chini is a Barisan Nasional stronghold, do not forget that they once lost the seat by five votes,” he said, referring to the 1999 general election when the then Parti Keadilan Nasional won the state seat.
Shukri had contested in the 12th General Election under the PKR ticket and in the 13th General Election as an independent candidate. He lost both times.
He attempted to take part in the Rompin parliamentary by-election in 2015 but did not meet the requirements.
In Kuantan, Pahang Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Wan Rosdy Wan Ismail said the late Chini assemblyman Datuk Seri Abu Bakar Harun had done a lot for the constituency.
Among them was the issuing of land grants to the Orang Asli community that was originally brought up by Abu Bakar.
“Then there is also the off-river storage reservoir project, which will benefit 33,000 settlers. That was also brought up by Abu Bakar previously, way before the by-election,” he said after attending the handover ceremony for the Bunut Rendang fishermen’s resettlement project.
It was reported that the RM18mil reservoir project to be constructed at the Sungai Mentiga intake point would solve the water supply problems in the Felda settlements of Chini during droughts.
The Chini by-election was triggered following the death of Abu Bakar on May 6.
A three-way battle is being fought for the state seat by Barisan’s Mohd Sharim Md Zain, 41, Shukri and another independent candidate Tengku Datuk Zainul Hisham Tengku Hussin, 64.