A BARISAN Nasional loss in Cameron Highlands will “mark the beginning of the end” for the former ruling coalition in Pahang, one of two states it still rules after the 14th general election, DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng said today.

Speaking to reporters while on the campaign trail in Kuala Medang a day before polling for the by-election, Lim said this was why BN was fighting back with “slander, insults and threats”.

A win by Pakatan Harapan would mean beating BN in its own fortress, as it has held the federal seat since it was formed in 2003.

“It is already (BN’s) seat, but for us to win it will be a huge bonus,” Lim said.

Besides Pahang, Perlis is the only other state ruled by BN following its worst electoral performance in the 2018 general election.

Lim, who is also finance minister, said PH had a different way of doing things and meeting people’s needs, which followed the rules to ensure it ran a clean campaign.

He said PH, although being the federal government, was not announcing projects for the constituency, unlike how BN campaigned in the past when it was in Putrajaya.

“They gave grants that have never been given out. That’s why Cameron Highlands residents say that they hope for more by-elections, because then, they can get more grants. 

“We (PH) do not do this in the federal government. We follow the rules of the Election Commission, so we do not announce our projects, unlike the previous government,” he said. 

Lim also acknowledged voters’ concerns about the cost of living, adding that overall inflation for 2018 had been 1%.

He said this might look good on paper but admitted that the people had yet to feel the benefits.

He said there were specific factors that caused price hikes and that he had already held discussions with Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Minister Saifuddin Nasution to establish a committee to look into this issue.

“Fundamentally, we have achieved our aim of controlling inflation as its lower than it was under the goods and services tax (GST).  

“How it will be filtered down is our next challenge,” Lim said. – January 25, 2019.