Focus Malaysia:
Ramasamy blasts detractors for crude prank of him as PAS’ preferred candidate for Sg Bakap state by-election
FORMER Penang deputy chief minister II Prof Ramasamy Palanisamy has lambasted political enemies for viralling a poster mocking him as PAS’ candidate for the upcoming Sungai Bakap state by-election.
A caption accompanying the poster went on to claim that PAS “is expected to spring a surprise by making a non-Muslim as its candidate” for the state constituency which fell vacant following the demise of its the party’s incumbent Nor Zamri Latiff on May 24 from stomach inflammation.
The vocal ex-DAP stalwart who has been at odds with the Pakatan Harapan (PH) administration by emerging one of the Madani government’s fiercest critic in recent times reckoned that his detractors are linking me with PAS “with the hope of decreasing or diluting my support among the Indian community”.
“I’m sorry that I have to disappoint them. I have nothing against PAS or Perikatan Nasional (PN),” Ramsamy who is now the United Rights of Malaysian Party (Urimai) interim council chairman told FocusM.
“They are very very afraid that Urimai will have an impact on the Indian community by enticing the latter not to vote for PH-led coalition in the by-election.”
Prof Ramasamy Palanisamy
While the Election Commission (EC) will hold a special meeting tomorrow (June 6) to determine the key dates for the by-election, Penang PAS is reportedly fine-tuning its list of potential candidates before submitting it to the party leadership, according to the state’s PAS commissioner Muhammad Fauzi Yusoff.
On how Urimai will position itself in the forthcoming by-election, the academician-turned-politician said his party will remain “an independent political entity not beholden to any political coalition whether Pakatan Harapan (PH) or PN.”
“My detractors can’t match the influence of Urimai on the Indian community. By engagement in these petty and frivolous acts of character assassination, they think they will dilute the influence or impact of Urimai,” fumed Ramasamy.
“Essentially, they’re already in the panic mood even before the announcement of the polling day. The work of desperados in PH!
“I would not be intimidated by these cheap tricks and childish antics. Anyway, these diehard supporters should accept the fact that they are going to lose bad and be miserable in the Sungai Bakap polls.”
Below is Ramasamy’s early take on the Sungai Bakap state by-election:
Predictions are that PN candidate supposedly from PAS might win on the grounds of Malay majority.
However, things might not be taken for granted. If the government of the day pours in development aid as the way they did in the recent Kuala Kubu Baharu polls (KKB), Malay voters especially the uniformed personnel might gravitate towards the PH-led coalition.
While the Election Commission (EC) will hold a special meeting tomorrow (June 6) to determine the key dates for the by-election, Penang PAS is reportedly fine-tuning its list of potential candidates before submitting it to the party leadership, according to the state’s PAS commissioner Muhammad Fauzi Yusoff.
On how Urimai will position itself in the forthcoming by-election, the academician-turned-politician said his party will remain “an independent political entity not beholden to any political coalition whether Pakatan Harapan (PH) or PN.”
“My detractors can’t match the influence of Urimai on the Indian community. By engagement in these petty and frivolous acts of character assassination, they think they will dilute the influence or impact of Urimai,” fumed Ramasamy.
“Essentially, they’re already in the panic mood even before the announcement of the polling day. The work of desperados in PH!
“I would not be intimidated by these cheap tricks and childish antics. Anyway, these diehard supporters should accept the fact that they are going to lose bad and be miserable in the Sungai Bakap polls.”
Below is Ramasamy’s early take on the Sungai Bakap state by-election:
Predictions are that PN candidate supposedly from PAS might win on the grounds of Malay majority.
However, things might not be taken for granted. If the government of the day pours in development aid as the way they did in the recent Kuala Kubu Baharu polls (KKB), Malay voters especially the uniformed personnel might gravitate towards the PH-led coalition.
The late Sungai Bakap state assemblyman Nor Zamri Latiff (third from right) with his PN comrades during the PN people representatives’ convention at the Sunway Putra Kuala Lumpur on March 9, 2024
Like the KKB by-election, there might be surprises for voters in the Sungai Bakap constituency.
Chinese voters will hold no surprises; the lack of political choice will force them to vote for the PH candidate. Like the KKB polls, Indians will once again emerge as the “kingmakers”.
In the last state elections in 2023, there was significant shift of Indian voters away from the PH parties such as the DAP and PKR. The purge against Indian leaders in DAP was responsible for the shift away from the PH-led coalition.
In states like Penang, Selangor and others, Indian support for PH dropped to about 40% of the Indian voter turnout. In the KKB polls, the trend that begun in the last state elections continued, reflecting Indian voter turnout of less than 50%. – June 5, 2024
Like the KKB by-election, there might be surprises for voters in the Sungai Bakap constituency.
Chinese voters will hold no surprises; the lack of political choice will force them to vote for the PH candidate. Like the KKB polls, Indians will once again emerge as the “kingmakers”.
In the last state elections in 2023, there was significant shift of Indian voters away from the PH parties such as the DAP and PKR. The purge against Indian leaders in DAP was responsible for the shift away from the PH-led coalition.
In states like Penang, Selangor and others, Indian support for PH dropped to about 40% of the Indian voter turnout. In the KKB polls, the trend that begun in the last state elections continued, reflecting Indian voter turnout of less than 50%. – June 5, 2024
Like most good pranks, the poster had an element of expectation behind it...wakakaka
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