BN ‘very poor’, no money for by-election materials, says Umno sec-gen

CAMERON HIGHLANDS — Barisan Nasional (BN) has no money to put up banners and posters for their by-election candidate in Cameron Highlands, said United Malays National Organisation (Umno) secretary-general Annuar Musa.

He said now that the coalition was in the opposition, they had only a little money and were “very poor”.

“Resources is something we lack. During my trip from Kuala Lipis to Tanah Rata I didn’t see any BN posters.

“If we consider the amount of billboards and the buntings (that Pakatan Harapan has put up for the election), BN doesn’t have any posters,” Mr Annuar said in Tanah Rata where he joined BN’s campaign for the seat.

“The billboards put up by Pakatan has exceeded their election spending,” he also claimed.

The by-election on January 26 will see a four-cornered fight between BN’s Ramli Mohd Nor, Democratic Action Party’s (DAP) M. Manogaran, and independents Mr Sallehudin Ab Talib and Mr Wong Seng Yee.

BN is defending the seat after losing it after the election court in November nullified its win in GE14 due to evidence of bribery by its candidate, C. Sivarraajh of the Malaysian Indian Congress.

He said money politics is contagious in the government and usually there is no money politics in the opposition as there is no money.

“Those who have money, they will spend.

“I think DAP really wants to win here and so far have failed to control their government machinery, as they have broken election laws, they have made excuses, but it has become public knowledge, money politics has occurred on behalf of the government,” he said.

When asked to comment on DAP advisor Lim Kit Siang’s statement that it’s not wrong to give petrol money, Mr Annuar said that he is “getting good” at being the government.

“His excuses are similar to the BN of old.” THE MALAYSIAN INSIGHT