Pahang BN activates machinery for Cameron Highlands by-election

LIPIS: Pahang Barisan Nasional (BN) has activated its machinery for the Cameron Highlands by-election, according to its chairman Datuk Seri Wan Rosdy Wan Ismail (pix).

He said the move was taken as MIC vice-president Datuk C. Sivarraajh, who won the seat in the 14th General Election (GE-14) had decided not to appeal the Election Court’s decision to nullify his victory.

“The time period for Sivarraajh to submit an appeal over the court’s decision on Nov 30 was over yesterday and the state BN respects the decision made by MIC,“ he told reporters at a ceremony at Sultan Ahmad Shah Perak Jubilee Hall here today.

In the ceremony, he presented the letter of appointment to 542 Village Community Management Council (MPKK) chairmen for Lipis, Raub and Jerantut districts.

On Nov 30, Judge Datuk Azizah Nawawi ruled that a by-election is to be held for the parliamentary seat, after declaring Sivarraajh’s victory as null and void due to vote-buying.

In GE14, Sivarraajh won the Cameron Highlands parliamentary seat with 10,307 votes in a five-cornered race, including DAP candidate M.Manogaran who garnered 9,710 votes.

On a different development, Wan Rosdy who is also the Mentri Besar, said the state government is ready to consider the appropriate assistance for flood victims in the state.

He said the provision of assistance to the victims, should be conducted in an orderly manner according to the standard operating procedures (SOPs) outlined by the state government.

“We have the SOPs and the Social Welfare Department (JKM) to make the evaluation (on appropriate assistance). However the assistance depends on the state’s financial condition,“ he said.

He said this to the reporters after visiting the flood relief centre of Sekolah Kebangsaan (SK) Cherating which is sheltering 122 evacuees from 33 families. — Bernama