PH candidate banking on Dr M’s pulling power

PONTIAN: The Pakatan Harapan (PH) candidate in the Tanjung Piai parliamentary by-election, Karmaine Sardini, is confident that PH chairman Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad’s appearance in the PH campaign today (November 13) will be able to pull in the votes for the ruling coalition.

He said the prime minister is a statesman who is well known locally and internationally.

“As a candidate, I hope it (his presence) will have an impact on voters, by clarifying several issues, including the fact that he is now with PH and no longer under Barisan Nasional (BN).

“Voters should give their support to PH because Tun M is the PH leader and prime minister, and he has been making serious efforts to put the country back on a stronger footing,” he said.

Karmaine was speaking to reporters a er visiting Bangunan Perkep at the Pontian district police headquarters here where early voting was being held for the Tanjung Piai by-election.

At a press conference a er chairing the Bersatu supreme council meeting last Monday night, Dr Mahathir said some residents in Tanjung Piai thought he was still the Umno president.

Dr Mahathir said his visit to Tanjung Piai today (November 13) to campaign for the PH candidate would help to clear up this misunderstanding.

Yesterday’s early voting, which involves police officers and rank and file personnel, is being held from 8am to 5pm.

Two polling streams, one each for the Kukup and Pekan Nanas state constituencies, are open for the voters. The Tanjung Piai byelection was called following the death of incumbent MP Datuk Dr Md Farid Md Rafik, 42, of PH on September 21 due to heart complications.