PAKATAN Harapan leaders have been reminded to stay away from schools while campaigning for the upcoming Tg Piai by-election.

PKR president Anwar Ibrahim said all PH leaders must adhere to the election rules, which include prohibition from campaigning in schools.

“There are regulations against campaigning in schools. We should avoid that. We advise them not to do so again.

“There are election regulations which we should adhere to,” he told reporters at the Parliament lobby today.

He was commenting on reports that Agriculture and Agro-based Industry Minister Salahuddin Ayub held a closed-door meeting in SJKC Pei Chio in Tg Piai.

Salahuddin reportedly warned about the danger of manipulating and playing up religious and racial issues, referring to the pact between Umno and PAS.

He gave a RM5,000 grant to the school, inviting criticism that he was using the school for campaigning purposes.

In another development, Education Minister Maszlee Malik defended Salahuddin’s act of giving the grant to the school, saying that it was a normal affair.

He said it was common for minister to get requests for financial assistance from parent-teacher associations.

“Such requests are not only from Tg Piai schools but from nationwide.

“So, I think it is a normal affair for minister to receive such requests and for them to give financial assistance.”

The Tg Piai by-election will see a six-cornered battle between Wee Jeck Seng (BN), Karmaine Sardini of PH, Wendy Subramaniam (Gerakan), Badhrulhisham Abdul Aziz (Berjasa), Ang Chuan Lock and businessman Faridah Aryani Abdul Ghaffar (independents).

Early voting will take place on November 12 while polling is on November 16. – November 6, 2019.