KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 28 — Johor Umno chief Datuk Hasni Mohammad has mocked today Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia’s candidate for the Tanjung Piai by-election, pointing out that Karmaine Sardini is already 66 years old.
Malaysiakini reported Hasni as saying he hopes there will be no by-election again in the near future, referring to the death of the incumbent MP Datuk Dr Mohamed Farid Md Rafik that triggered the poll.
“Their candidate is 66, going to be 67 next year. Hopefully, there will not be another by-election, as elections are tiring,” he reportedly said during Barisan Nasional’s (BN) launch of its by-election machinery.
Hasni also said the anticipated announcement of the BN candidate today was in fact a ruse.
“They were fooled by us, wanting to announce on Wednesday, but when they heard we were going to announce at 4pm today, they announced first at 2pm.
“So they were defeated, and we will not announcing our candidate today,” he reportedly said.
This comes even as Umno president Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi earlier paid respects to Dr Mohamed Farid, whose death from a heart attack on September 21 at the age of 42 led to the by-election.
“Farid passed away too young, a doctor, medical expert is gone. He was a good man, that was his track record,” he was quoted as saying after delivering a brief prayer for the late MP.
Zahid added BN’s candidate will hopefully surpass Farid and promised the candidate will be a local and that an announcement would be made soon.
Johor Pakatan Harapan chief Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin announced Karmaini as the pact’s candidate earlier today.
