BEAUFORT: Barisdan Nasional introduced its latest “star” – Tanjung Piai MP Wee Jeck Seng – to campaign for its candidate Mohamad Alamin in the Kimanis by-election last night.
The number of Chinese voters in Kimanis may be insignificant but BN is leaving nothing to chance as MCA’s Wee – who won by a big margin in the Tanjung Piai by-election in Johor last year – made an appearance at a predominantly Chinese village in Membakut.
BN is hoping Wee’s appeal will rub off on its campaign and help woo Chinese voters, who number just 1,085 in Kamanis, to pick Mohamad over Warisan’s Karim Bujang on Jan 18.
Wee told his audience that despite being in the minority – there are some 20,000 Muslim Bumiputeras and 8,000 non-Muslim Bumiputeras in the constituency – their vote was crucial.
“We can’t leave anybody out. There may be only about 1,000 Chinese voters but every vote counts and could make a difference,” he said at the ceramah at Kampung Lampayau, attended by about 60 villagers.
He said BN was also going house-to-house to campaign.
Wee hoped the voters in Kimanis would come in full force on polling day, just like in Tanjung Piai, which saw a 74% voter turnout.
Noting that the by-election would take place just a week before the Chinese New Year celebrations, he urged community leaders to talk to family members to return and vote.
“We need their support. They (family members) are mostly working in Kota Kinabalu, which is only 80km away, so maybe they can come back first and vote,” he said.
Drawing similarities between Kimanis and Tanjung Piai, he said the people here were mostly farmers and fishermen, just like those in Tanjung Piai who were in business and the palm oil trade.
“I went for a walkabout at the shops earlier today and they told me they are facing income problems, that business is no good, which is also what is happening in my area.
“This is your chance to tell the government they have not been doing their work well. The lives of the people, especially the villagers, are difficult but the government is not paying attention to that.
Wee’s victory in Tanjung Piai by a 15,000-vote majority was BN’s fourth win in nine by-elections after last year’s general election. -FMT