PEKAN, June 25 — Barisan Nasional (BN) candidate Mohd Sharim Md Zain today reached out to the Orang Asli community as campaigning for the Chini state by-election entered its sixth day.

He visited several Orang Asli settlements under the Ziarah Kasih programme to better understand their problems.

He was assisted on his campaign rounds by former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak, who is also the Pekan Member of Parliament (MP).

Mohd Sharim said Orang Asli support for BN was seen as encouraging and he believed that the majority of them would vote for him.

"I will do my best to fight for the people of Chini, particularly in Orang Asli settlements, traditional villages and Felda communities,” he told reporters when visiting an Orang Asli village in Bendaling, near here.

Mohd Sharim and Najib spent about an hour meeting residents there and the Orang Asli community in Kampung Tasik Mentiga, as well as attending an event by the Chini Single Mothers’ Association at Semai Bakti hall in Felda Chini 5.

Meanwhile, Najib, who is BN operations director for the Chini by-election, said Mohd Sharim is capable of continuing the good works of the former Chini state assemblyman Datuk Seri Abu Bakar Harun, whose death had forced the by-election.

"He (Mohd Sharim) is most suitable for Chini. Moreover, he is active in the youth movement, and I am confident that as the elected representative he can serve the people well,” he added.

The Chini by-election is a three-cornered fight involving Mohd Sharim and independent candidates Tengku Datuk Zainul Hisham Tengku Hussin, 64, and Mohd Shukri Mohd Ramli, 49.

Chini, which is one of the four state seats under the Pekan parliamentary constituency, has 20,990 voters comprising of 20,972 regular voters and 18 early voters. Polling is on July 4. — Bernama