PUTRAJAYA, Jan 14 — The Pakatan Harapan (PH) government is capable of developing Cameron Highlands into more than a tourist destination if it wins in the parliamentary seat by-election on Jan 26, says PH deputy president, Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin.

“We have the capacity and resources to develop this constituency compared to now,” said Muhyiddin, who is also Home Minister, at a news conference after delivering the ministry’s New Year 2019 message, here, today.

The by-election will see a four-cornered contest involving Pahang DAP deputy chairman M. Manogaran; 60 (PH), former senior police officer Ramli Mohd Nor, 61, (Barisan Nasional); former Institut Aminuddin Baki lecturer Sallehudin Ab Talib, 61, and farmer Wong Seng Yee, 40, both as Independents.

The Election Court had on last Nov 30, declared the win by Datuk C. Sivaraajh from Barisan Nasional (BN) in the contest for the seat during the 14th General Election, as null and void after it was found there was corrupt practice involved to influence voters in the area.

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Muhyiddin said he was aware of the problems and issues faced by the people of Cameron Highlands and was confident that the PH government would fare better than the previous BN government in resolving these. 

“I believe our party machinery has gone down to the constituents and explain various issues including employment and temporary occupation licence (TOL) which need to be resolved,” he said.

On Senator Bob Manolan Mohamad having allegedly made a threatening statement to the Orang Asli tok batin (village chiefs), Muhyiddin said it was up to voters including the Orang Asli in the area to ponder over it, while Bob Manolan had already explained the matter.

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Asked on the viralled video of a woman in PH T-shirt handing out money to individuals during the by-election campaign, Muhyiddin declined to comment as he was not at the scene of the alleged incident.  — Bernama