DR Mahathir Mohamad is optimistic that Pakatan Harapan (PH) can reel in the Malay vote and secure victory in the upcoming Semenyih by-election.

The PH chairman said Malay support for the pact in Semenyih is still strong but their votes may be split.

“I think the Malay support is very strong in Semenyih but we have to remember that there will be more than two parties contesting so the Malay votes might be split.

“Of course, that can be bad for some parties but we are convinced that based on our assessment we have a good chance of winning,” he said.

Barisan Nasional’s Ramli Mohd Nor became the new Cameron Highlands MP after getting 12,038 votes last Saturday.

He defeated PH’s M. Manogaran, who received 8,800 votes, and independents Sallehudin Ab Talib (314) and Wong Seng Yee (276). The turnout was 68%.

Ramli’s 3,238-vote majority is a huge increase from the 597-vote majority claimed by MIC’s C. Sivarraajh, who won the seat in the 14th general election.

The victory is credited to PH’s failure to attract Malay votes, which the combined BN and PAS machinery managed to do.

PAS and its president, Abdul Hadi Awang, campaigned hard to help secure Malay and Muslim votes for BN.

In GE14, Sivaraajh won 10,307 votes, Manogaran won 9,710, PAS’ Wan Mahadir Wan Mahmud won 3,587 votes, B. Suresh Kumar of Parti Sosialis Malaysia won 680 votes and Berjasa’s Mohd Tahir Kassim won 81 votes. The turnout then was 79%.

Meanwhile, asked if PH will back Manogaran, who is going to be probed for breaching election laws in the Cameron Highlands polls, Dr Mahathir affirmed that his coalition will abide by the rule of law.

“We will apply the rule of law,” he said.

The Election Commission yesterday lodged a police report against Manogaran, who on Saturday entered the SK Senderut polling centre wearing a shirt with PH’s logo, which the EC said contravened the Election Offences Act.

The report was lodged at the Sg Koyan station by the EC officer in charge of the polling centre in question.

The EC also lodged a report over the setting up of booths by political parties on polling day.

Manogaran, who was escorted out of the polling centre by election officers, has admitted to his mistake.

He said he was in a rush, and had worn the shirt out of habit.

“It was a minor mistake as I wore the same kind of shirt every day and just forgot that it had party logos on it.”

EC chairman Azhar Azizan Harun said the display of party emblems on polling centre grounds is not allowed under election laws, and as such, the commission took action by asking Manogaran to leave. – January 29, 2019.