SEREMBAN, April 11 — With just over 24 hours left for campaigning in the Rantau state by-election, the Pakatan Harapan (PH) is all geared up to announce its manifesto at any time now.
PH candidate Dr S. Streram expressed confidence that the last-minute announcement of the manifesto will have a major positive impact on the outcome of the election for PH.
“I just saw the proof of the manifesto. Whatever I said before, the local problems in Rantau, is included and it is ready to be launched.
“We see that the problems are real. I’m not here to give you empty promises. I’m talking about factual things that I want to do for this community,” he told reporters after attending a free eye test programme at the Kampung Siliau community hall, here.
It is learned that the manifesto will highlight seven basic issues.
On another matter, Dr Streram hit out at a report of Seremban MCA chairman Siow Koi Voon stating that the Chinese voters in Rantau are fond of the Barisan Nasional (BN) candidate, former Negri Sembilan mentri besar Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan, and would vote for him.
“MCA is dreaming. I want to ask them how many seats they have in Parliament now. Do you think the Chinese support them?
“They always do that (dreaming). Anyway, I think maybe the MCA will also vote for me,” he said in jest.
The MCA won only one of the 39 parliamentary seats and two of the 90 state seats it contested in the 14th General Election (GE14).
Dr Streram said the performance of the party in GE14 showed that it was losing support among the Chinese.
The Rantau by-election, polling for which is on Saturday, is a four-cornered contest among Dr Streram, an anaesthetist; Mohamad and two independent candidates, namely R. Malarvizhi, a housewife, and Mohd Nor Yassin, a former lecturer.
The by-election has been necessitated by the Federal Court dismissal of an appeal filed by Mohamad to set aside the November 16 Seremban Election Court decision declaring his unopposed victory in GE14 null and void.
In GE14, Mohamad was declared the winner of the seat after Dr Streram was prohibited from entering the nomination centre to submit his nomination papers because he did not have a pass issued by the EC. — Bernama
