No big crowds, no worries, says Pakatan's Karmaine

Kluang MP Wong Shu Qi addressing some patrons during a ceramah held at a coffeeshop along at Pekan Nanas in Pontian on Nov 6

PONTIAN: Pakatan Harapan Tanjung Piai by-election candidate Karmaine Sardini is unfazed over the low turn-outs at the ruling coalition's ceramah lately.

The Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (Bersatu) Tanjung Piai division chief said he was not worried.

"People do not come to our events because they have work to do, and I understand their situation," he said when met after attending a ceramah held at a coffee shop along Jalan Sawah in Pekan Nanas here on Wednesday (Nov 6).

Karmaine, 66, who is facing a six-cornered fight in the by-election, added that this had only spurred him on to work even harder to reach out to voters.

"We will continue with our campaign programmes and I am not worried at all.

"God willing, Pakatan has a chance to win and I am going to every corner in this parliamentary constituency to meet with the people as every area has different problems, ” he said.

During the ceramah, which was attended by Kluang MP Wong Shu Qi, Taiping MP Teh Kok Lim and Pekan Nanas assemblyman Yeo Tung Siong, Karmaine had to cut short his presence and rush to another location.

In his speech to about 20 people, who were mostly having their breakfast, Karmaine urged them to support him and Pakatan to ensure that any problems that arose in the constituency could be resolved immediately.

Prior to this, an event featuring a Pakatan Harapan minister and deputy minister only managed to attract 50 people at a “kopitiam forum” that took place at Restoran Jiayibei here.

The forum featured Defence Minister Mohamad Sabu, Deputy Defence Minister Liew Chin Tong and Yeo.

Mohamad, who was spotted in a red Defence Ministry shirt and flanked by a security entourage, failed to pull in the crowds in Pekan Nanas, which is known as a DAP stronghold in the Tanjung Piai constituency on Monday (Nov 4).