Pelangai by-election: Felda voters mostly backed BN candidate, not PN - Fahmi
09 Oct 2023 08:53pm
Communications and Digital Minister Fahmi Fadzil - FILE PIX
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Fahmi, who is also Communications and Digital Minister, said based on the result scorecards, the Barisan Nasional candidate Datuk Amizar Abu Adam had solid support through the voting stream for senior citizens in all three Felda settlements, namely Kemasul, Kemahal dan Chemomoi.
He said voting streams four and five, for young voters, at two settlements in the state constituency also showed a similar trend.
"What is important is that the Pelangai by-election result proves that the Pelangai electorate rejects racial politics and politics that touch on the 3Rs (Race, Religion, Royalty),” he told a press conference after officiating World Post Day 2023 at the Pos Malaysia headquarters here today.
The Unity Government spokesperson was responding to Pahang Perikatan Nasional (PN) chairman Datuk Saifuddin Abdullah’s statement that the opposition coalition had secured the vast majority of Felda votes in the Pelangai by-election.
In the by-election, Amizar won the state seat with a 2,949-vote majority after garnering 7,324 votes, defeating PN’s Kasim Samat (4,375 votes) and Independent candidate Haslihelmy DM Zulhasni (47 votes).
In another development, Fahmi denied that the government was curtailing freedom of speech and comments on Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.
He said action taken by the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) was according to law and also requests from other agencies such as the Domestic Trade and Cost of Living Ministry or the police to block access to websites.
"It is not meant to restrict freedom of speech, but a reminder that in Malaysia, we have the right to speak but we also have laws and moral limits.
To date, no journalist has been detained, while none of the media outlets’ operating licences have been revoked, Fahmi stressed.
Yesterday, Save Malaysia spokesperson Datuk Tun Faisal Ismail Aziz lodged a police report against Home Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail, Fahmi, and the secretaries-general of both ministries, as well as MCMC’s chief executive officer, claiming that the government was suppressing freedom of speech. - BERNAMA
