TAPAH: Datuk Seri Saarani Mohamad has defended Dr Mohamad Yusri Bakir's presence during an official state programme here on Saturday (April 19.
The Perak Mentri Besar said he believes that it was not wrong for the Barisan Nasional's Ayer Kuning by-election candidate to attend the "Town Hall with Youth" programme at the Tapah Sports Complex, as he was merely there to "meet and greet".
"The candidate needs to go to where there are crowds, to meet with the people, whether it is a night market, farmers' market or a field where people are playing football.
"These are the easiest locations for him to meet the people because it is not easy for a candidate to go and meet all 31,897 voters," he said in a press conference after closing a parenting seminar at SM Sains Tapah here on Wednesday (April 23).
The Coalition for Clean and Fair Elections (Bersih) has recently claimed that election offences were committed during the campaign by unity government leaders.
These included Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi pledging for development projects in Ayer Kuning to continue if the Barisan wins the by-election, Agriculture and Food Security Minister Mohamad Sabu giving "duit raya” to attendees during a Hari Raya open house organised by the Farmers’ Organisation Authority and the town hall programme.
Saarani said he does not believe that an offence was committed during the town hall programme.
"I have been a (general election) candidate six times. I encourage him (Mohamad Yusri) to go wherever there are opportunities, even inside a bus with 50 passengers, to meet with people.
"To me, it is not an offence. They (Bersih) can report it to the Election Commission and let them decide," he said.
The state by-election, which is on April 26, was called following the passing of Barisan incumbent Ishsam Shahruddin in February.
In the 15th General Election, Ishsam polled 9,088 votes and won by a 2,213-vote majority, defeating Pakatan Harapan's Mohd Nazri Hashim, Perikatan Nasional's Muhammad Noor Farid, Pejuang's Maziah Salim, and Parti Sosialis Malaysia's KS Bawani.
Mohamad Yusri will be up against Bawani and Perikatan's Abd Muhaimin Malek.
