SEREMBAN, April 6 — Amanah vice president Datuk Mahfuz Omar has downplayed the impact of the low Tabung Haji (TH) hibah (dividend) rate announced yesterday on Pakatan Harapan’s (PH) campaign in the Rantau state by-election.

He said he was confident that the voters in the area were mature and aware that the predicament was the result of TH’s mismanagement under the previous administration.

“I think the voters are not angry, especially Muslims who are depositors of TH, they know why this is happening, and I believe depositors and Muslims should be grateful to the current government for saving TH and getting it back on track,” he told reporters here last night.

Yesterday, Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Seri Dr Mujahid Yusof announced a 1.25 per cent hibah to depositors for the financial year 2018, involving an allocation of RM913 million.

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Asked if the matter would be played up by the opposition during the by-election campaign, Mahfuz, who is also Deputy Human Resource Minister said the move would only backfire on them.

The contest on April 13 will see a four-cornered fight between Dr Streram, Mohamad Hasan(BN), and two independent candidates, R. Malarv and Mohd Nor Yassin.

The by-election has been necessitated by the Federal Court’s dismissal of an appeal filed by Mohamad to set aside the Nov 16 Seremban Election Court decision declaring his unopposed victory in the 14th general election (GE14) null and void. — Bernama

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