MORE than 50,000 voters in Tg Piai will head to the polls today to decide whether to stick with Pakatan Harapan or return the seat to Barisan Nasional.

The two main contenders and four other hopefuls in the by-election have had 14 days to campaign for their votes.

The seat, which fell vacant with the death of Dr Md Farid Md Rafik in September, is being contested by PH’s Karmaine Sardini, BN’s Wee Jeck Seng, Gerakan’s Wendy Subramaniam, Berjasa’s Badhrulhisham Abdul Aziz and independents Ang Chuan Lock and Faridah Aryani Abd Ghaffar.

Voting begins at 8am and closes at 5.30pm at 27 polling stations in Tg Piai. The votes will be counted at Dewan Jubli Intan Sultan Ibrahim in Pontian.

The Election Commission expects to announce the results by 10pm.

On Tuesday, 255 early voters had cast their ballots at the Pontian IPD.

Meanwhile, former prime minister Najib Razak and Umno Youth exco member Wan Muhammad Azri Wan Deris were the unwitting stars of PH’s last ceramah last night in Pontian.

Bersatu president Muhyiddin Yassin, Amanah deputy president Salahuddin Ayub, Bersatu Youth chief Syed Saddiq Abdul Rahman and DAP’s Lim Kit Siang, blasted the two Umno leaders for their comments.

“I was shocked to see Najib question PH’s appointment of a Chinese for the position of finance minister,” said Syed Saddiq.

“This is not the first time a Chinese has been appointed finance minister. Najib’s father, Razak and our first prime minister Tunku Abdul Rahman both had Tan Siew Sin as their finance ministers,” said the youth and sports minister.

He said PH did not make appointments based on race but on integrity.

“Who stole money from Mara, Felda and Tabung Haji? Was it Umno or Lim?”

Muhyiddin said it should be easy for Tg Piai voters to make their choice.

“If you don’t want Najib or BN to govern again or if you don’t want corruption, vote for Karmaine,” said the home minister.

DAP’s Liew Chin Tong urged the voters to choose moderation.

“If we win here, it would send a message to the whole country that racial politics and politics based on lies are rejected,” said the deputy defence minister.

Despite his court troubles, Najib was one of the main speakers at the BN-PAS Muafakat Nasional ceramah in Kg Lubuk Sawah on Thursday night.

During the ceramah on Thursday, the 66-year-old said: “Where is Malay dignity when the finance minister is from DAP?”

At the PH ceramah last night, videos were screened of Najib’s Thursday address as well as of an old speech by Wan Muhammad Azri calling for non-Malay voting rights to be revoked if BN were to be returned to power.

At the BN camp in Kampung Peneruk on the final night of the campaign, meanwhile, Najib told the crowd that a victory in Tg Piai would put the opposition on track to recapturing Putrajaya.

“We started this journey in Cameron Highlands, Semenyih and Rantau. The same wind will blow across Tg Piai,” he said, referring to the by-elections BN has won since the general election last night.

He said BN cared about the people’s welfare and would revive the BR1M cash aid programme.

He also said BN leaders had the experience to run the country, unlike the PH greenhorns in the cabinet. – November 16, 2019.