PORT DICKSON, Oct 13 — The Port Dickson parliamentary by-election presents an opportunity for political parties to evaluate their campaign strategies going forward, said PKR communications director Fahmi Fadzil.
It would also allow the ruling Pakatan Harapan to review how it will deploy senior leaders for such campaigns, especially those with positions in the government.
However, the Lembah Pantai MP repeated PH’s insistence that no government machinery was used to support PKR president Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s campaign.
“Based on the current situation, I strongly believe that political parties from the ruling government and the Opposition can use this chance to revise their modus operandi or ways of campaigning.
“This will ensure that when we face another by-election in the future or the 15th general election, we would have identified what constitutes government machinery including the do’s and dont’s during an election,” he told a press conference at PH’s Port Dickson operations centre.
Among others, he cited complaints about the introduction of Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah as the deputy prime minister during campaigning rather than as the president of PH or the outgoing president of PKR.
Dr Wan Azizah is also Anwar’s wife.
Anwar previously touted that no government machinery would be deployed or used during PKR’s campaign in Port Dickson, saying it was crucial for the party to contest in a clean atmosphere and through an independent process.
Former MP Datuk Danyal Balagopal Abdullah resigned on September 12 to trigger the by-election for Anwar to contest.
The poll is the fourth called since the May 9 general election, but the first for a parliamentary seat.
