NIBONG TEBAL – It is not an offence for ministers or ministries to organise programmes or announce allocations during by-elections, Umno Supreme Council member Datuk Seri Ahmad Maslan said.
He said that such matters have previously been brought to court, but decisions have never sided with the opposing parties who raised the issue.
“The courts decided then that they (the ministers) were there based on their government leadership positions to meet the people and coincidentally, there was a by-election. So it’s not an offence.
“I am here (Sg Bakap) tonight as an Umno Supreme Council member to give a talk, and so are the rest of my friends, including Fadhlina Sidek, who is education minister, and also the MP here (Nibong Tebal),” he told reporters after attending a political talk in Kg Makau Suah here last night.
He was commenting on a statement by an opposition MP carried on a news portal yesterday alleging that many ministers showed up under the cover of government-organised programmes in Sg Bakap and not as part of party activities or for Pakatan Harapan (PH) candidate Joohari Ariffin.
Rantau Panjang MP Datuk Siti Zailah Mohd Yusoff claimed that voters had voiced out to her that many programmes were being organised in Sg Bakap involving the government and its ministers.
Joohari will face Nibong Tebal PAS deputy chief Abidin Ismail, the Perikatan Nasional candidate, in a straight fight for the Sg Bakap seat on July 6, following the death of Sg Bakap assemblyman Nor Zamri Latiff on May 24 from stomach inflammation.
Ahmad Maslan, who is also public works minister, expressed hope that the number of party machinery, whether from Umno or Barisan Nasional, would continue to increase and their efforts strengthened in ensuring victory for the PH candidate.
“As war room chief, recently appointed by the Umno Supreme Council, I feel that priority should be on house-to-house efforts to explain current issues.
“This includes the diesel subsidy rationalisation and the water supply problem, as they are the main issues here and require comments from time to time,” he added. – June 25, 2024