PAKATAN Harapan Senator Bob Manolan has denied threatening Orang Asli village chiefs (Tok Batin) in Cameron Highlands that they could lose their salaries and posts if they do not vote for the federal government in the January 26 by-election.

Manolan said his remarks at an event with Orang Asli voters this morning were that Tok Batin should not hold their positions while also holding a position in Umno simultaneously.

“If a Tok Batin carries out political activities for Umno and at the same time is receiving funds from the federal government, it is a conflict of interest.

“In my entire statement (this morning), I never warned or threatened or used the words ‘no vote, no pay’,” he said in a statement this afternoon.

News portal Malaysiakini earlier reported Manolan warning village chiefs to support PH in the coming by-election or lose their jobs or salaries.

He purportedly said Tok Batin should be loyal to the federal government since their salaries were paid by Putrajaya.

Manolan this afternoon said that he had been asked at a dialogue session at the event on who paid the allowances of village chiefs.

“My reply was, it is the federal government who pays their salary, so therefore, Tok Batin who still love their posts as Umno branch chiefs should resign as village chiefs.

He said Pakatan Harapan would ensure that it ran a clean campaign in Cameron Highlands without any intervention of the federal government.

“It should also be noted that the cause of the by-election is due to corruption and the corrupt activities by the Barisan Nasional candidate who won the parliamentary seat in the 14th general election.

“I hope this statement can explain the confusion and misunderstanding that occurred.”

Nomination for the by-election is tomorrow. PH has announced its candidate as M. Manogaran, who ran for the seat in GE14 but lost to the BN, while BN has announced its candidate as Ramli Mohd Noor, a retired high-ranking police officer from the Orang Asli Semai tribe. – January 11, 2019.