BARISAN Nasional candidate for the Cameron Highlands by-election Ramli Mohd Noor has refused to debate with his opponent from DAP after one of the party’s senators recently threatened Orang Asli village chiefs.

The retired senior police officer questioned why he should debate with his opponent, DAP’s M. Manogaran, after his people were threatened.

Ramli was referring to an incident in which Pakatan Harapan senator Bob Manolan had allegedly threatened village chiefs to support PH in the coming by-election or risk losing their jobs.

He had allegedly said that Tok Batin (village chiefs) should be loyal to the federal government since their salaries were paid by Putrajaya.

“What is there to debate? They threatened my people to take away their salary. Why should I debate with them?

“The situation will show (what will happen in the by-election),” he said after visiting Kampung Manson today.

Manolan, however, denied threatening the village chiefs, adding that what he meant was that the village chiefs should not keep their government positions while simultaneously holding positions in Umno.

An audio recording posted by news portal Malaysiakini, however, has Manolan saying “Tak support, kita buang (No support, we get rid of them)”.

Ramli, who is an Orang Asli from the Semai tribe and comes from Pos Mensun in the constituency, questioned whether his opponents in the by-election were free from corruption when asked if he would sign Bersih 2.0’s clean and fair elections pledge.

“Are my oppositions in the by-election clean? 

“I can rest assured (that I’m clean). But, I’m not saying that (I won’t sign the pledge).”

Ramli was not present at a Bersih event earlier today following the filing of candidates’ nominations, where the three other candidates signed the pledge.

Bersih 2.0 steering committee chairman Thomas Fann said it would continue to persuade Ramli to sign the pledge.

“If he does not sign, then we will say that out of all the candidates, Barisan Nasional has chosen not to sign (the pledge),” Fann said.

The three other candidates in the by-election are PH’s M. Manogaran and independent candidates Wong Seng Yee and Sallehudin Ab Talib.

This is the second time Bersih has put up a pledge for election candidates after introducing it in the Port Dickson by-election. – January 12, 2019.