HALIMEY Abu Bakar, Pakatan Harapan’s (PH) candidate for the Seri Setia by-election in Selangor, is confident that he has the “silent” support of some PAS members in the constituency.

He said this will give him the edge against his PAS opponent.

“As I am a local and my parents are also from here (Seri Setia), many Umno and PAS people know me and my parents.

“So PAS support will be there but in ‘silent’ form. If I get 30-40% backing from PAS supporters on polling day it will be very good,” he told Bernama after hosting an Aidiladha feast for the media at Projek Perumahan Rakyat (PPR) Lembah Subang today.        

Halimey, from PKR, is well aware that PAS has been working with Umno supporters to make inroads into Seri Setia and is not taking his opponent Dr Halimah Ali for granted .

The Seri Setia by-election on September 8 was called following the death of its incumbent assemblyman Shaharuddin Badaruddin on August 2 due to colon cancer. The by-election will be held concurrently with the by-election in Balakong.

Selangor has seen three by-elections since the 14th general election, with the Sungai Kandis by-election coming first on August 4.

The Seri Setia by-election is a straight fight between Halimey, a former Petaling Jaya City Council member, and Dr Halimah, who was a former Selangor executive councillor and the former state assemblyman for Selat Klang.   

On issues faced by Lembah Subang PPR residents, Halimey said he had met with Housing and Local Government Minister Zuraida Kamaruddin and sought immediate solutions towards replacing the lifts and water tanks at the low-cost flats.

He said the units have one of the highest number of residents under the B40 (lower income) group and efforts would be undertaken to uplift the socio-economic status of the residents.      

On the progress of his fifth day of campaigning in Seri Setia, Halimey said most grassroots members whom he met wanted a representative from the ruling coalition to be elected to ensure the continuity of the ‘Inisiatif Peduli Rakyat’ programme mooted by the PKR-led Selangor government.

Meanwhile, Dr Halimah, said at the Desa Mentari apartment complex during her campaign rounds that she would focus on upgrading infrastructure there if given the mandate.

She said the place appears run down and is badly in need of a facelift. – Bernama, August 22, 2018.