Mahkota polls: Barisan Nasional criticises Perikatan for provocative banners

KLUANG: Barisan Nasional has criticised their Perikatan Nasional opponent for allegedly putting up provocative banners in an attempt to cause division among Umno members.

Umno supreme council member Datuk Seri Ahmad Maslan said that Barisan and Pakatan Harapan's election machinery had discovered banners claiming that the unity government's candidate, Syed Hussien Syed Abdullah, would replace Datuk Jais Sarday as the Kluang Umno division chief if he wins the election.

“The banner displayed a photo of Syed Hussien alongside Johor Menteri Besar Datuk Onn Hafiz Ghazi and Umno President Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi.

“It came with a congratulatory message, alleging that Syed Hussien would soon become the Kluang Umno division chief.

“This is an attempt to stir conflict among Umno leaders, as we know that Datuk Jais is the current division chief,” he said at a press conference at the Barisan operation centre here.

Ahmad Maslan, also Barisan’s deputy election director for the Mahkota by-election, emphasised that Umno would not hold any party elections until the next general election.

“This shows that they (Perikatan Nasional) have run out of ideas, and I hope voters will not fall for such provocation,” he said, adding that Barisan is considering lodging a police report regarding the banners, which were also found in Mandarin.

Meanwhile, Johor DAP vice-chairman Sheikh Umar Bagharib Ali, who is also a Mahkota voter, said he had received a call with racial undertones, believed to be from Perikatan’s election machinery.

He said the woman on the line urged him to vote for Perikatan, claiming that Mahkota would be under Chinese rule if Barisan won.

“This is against election regulations, as such calls are considered campaigning, which should have ended last night.

“Not to mention the attempt to sow disunity among the public and use race to gain votes,” he said at the same press conference.

The Mahkota state seat became vacant when its assemblyman, Datuk Sharifah Azizah Syed Zain from Umno, passed away on 2 August, three days after she was hospitalised.

Sharifah Azizah won the March 2022 Johor state election seat with a 5,166-vote majority, defeating three other candidates from Perikatan, Pakatan, and Parti Warisan.

The Mahkota by-election, which is taking place on Saturday (28 Sept), is a straight fight between Syed Hussien and Perikatan’s Mohamad Haizan Jaafar.