JOHOR BAHRU, Aug 26 — The Pakatan Harapan (Harapan) campaign machinery in the Pulai parliamentary by-election is focusing its efforts on strengthening the unity of the grassroots of the component parties in the Unity Government.
Harapan candidate Suhaizan Kaiat said although the unity between the Harapan-Barisan Nasional (BN) has been established, there was still some clarification that needed to be made at the grassroots level, especially in Umno.
This, he said, was because there were still a handful of them who are not very clear about the current political dynamics that has seen Harapan and BN becoming allies in forming the Unity Government despite them being on opposite sides previously.
“During this campaigning period, I will go down to meet the voters and grassroots, especially Umno, to explain things to them and plead for their support.
“At the BN and Umno level, their leader Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin (Johor BN chairman) is also actively providing clarification to their grassroots,” he told reporters after a briefing at the Harapan operations room in the Perlis state constituency.
He was also confident that if they can continue to strengthen the Harapan-Barisan Nasional unity, Harapan can retain the parliamentary seat with a more comfortable majority in the Sept 9 by-election.
Meanwhile, when speaking at the campaign, Suhaizan also advised the Harapan-Barisan Nasional machinery not to be comfortable with the majority obtained by the parliamentary seat incumbent, the late Datuk Seri Salahuddin Ayub.
“Don’t become too comfortable with our majority in the previous general election. We must continue the late Salahuddin’s legacy and improve our performance,” he said.
In the Pulai parliamentary by-election, Suhaizan will face a three-cornered fight against Zulkifli Jaafar of Perikatan Nasional (PN) and Independent candidate Samsudin Mohamad Fauzi.
The Pulai parliamentary by-election and Simpang Jeram state by-election are being held following the death of its incumbent, Salahuddin, who was also the Minister Domestic Trade and Cost of Living, on July 23.
The Election Commission (EC) set polling for the two by-elections on Sept 9, with early voting on Sept 5.
— Bernama
