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In Padang Serai, Warisan ‘campaigns’ against its own candidate

Malay Mail
Malay Mail

KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 1 — Parti Warisan is urging voters in the Padang Serai federal seat election not to cast their ballots for its candidate, Mohd Bakhri Hashim.

The unusual development was because the party was allied in the federal government with Pakatan Harapan, which was fielding a candidate in the seat.

Warisan previously said it was withdrawing from the contest, but its decision to do so after nomination meant Mohd Bakhri’s name would remain on the ballot, which the party noted might confuse its supporters.

“We are lending our full support to Pakatan Harapan (PH) candidate Dr Mohamad Sofee Razak,” Kedah Warisan chairman Datuk Fadzil Hanafi was quoted as saying by the New Straits Times.

“We have instructed our election machinery and supporters to support the PH candidate for Padang Serai instead.”

The Padang Serai election was restarted midway through the 15th general election after the PH incumbent, M. Karupaiya, died during the campaign period.

Following fresh nominations on November 24, six candidates including Sofee and Mohd Bakri were accepted.

The others were Perikatan Nasional’s Datuk Azman Nasrudin, Barisan Nasional’s Datuk C. Sivaraj, Pejuang’s Hamzah Abdul Rahman and independent candidate Sreadnandha Rao.

Like Warisan, BN was also allied with PH in the national unity government but has not directed Sivaraj from MIC to drop the contest.