KLUANG, Nov 8 — More than 200 Pakatan Harapan flags put up along a path in Kampung Parit Kuari near Ayer Hitam, here, have been removed and dumped into a ditch, believed to have been done by some irresponsible persons.
Harapan’s candidate for the Ayer Hitam parliamentary seat in the 15th General Election (GE15), Sheikh Umar Bagharib Ali, said party workers who planted the flags realised what had happened at about 8am yesterday after only six hours they were put up.
“We are very disappointed with this kind of gangster politics and condemn any party that uses dirty tactics in the election.
“This attitude smears democracy which allows political parties to campaign healthily and in accordance with the rules set by the Election Commission (EC) and also the authorities,” he said in a Facebook post.
The Johor DAP vice chairman also instructed Harapan Ayer Hitam workers not to take any retaliatory action that contravenes election laws.
“We will continue to fight and campaign ethically. We will also continue to work hard to ensure Harapan’s victory in the Ayer Hitam parliamentary seat,” he said.
Meanwhile, Batu Pahat District Police Chief ACP Ismail Dollah, when contacted by Bernama today, said police have not yet received any reports regarding incidents of political party flags being removed or thrown away.
The Ayer Hitam seat is seeing a three-cornered fight between incumbent Datuk Seri Wee Ka Siong from Barisan Nasional, Perikatan Nasional candidate Muhammad Syafiq A. Aziz, and Sheikh Umar.
In GE14, Wee won the seat by a narrow majority of 303 votes.
Early voting is on November 15 and polling is on November 19.
— Bernama
