PONTIAN, Nov 13 — Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin today urged authorities to consider relaxing the requirement for police permits for walkabouts and door-to-door campaigning for the Tanjung Piai parliamentary by-election.
Muhyiddin, who is Home Minister and Pagoh MP, said such a consideration was necessary as all election machinery, whether PH, Barisan Nasional (BN) or other candidates, need to meet as many people as possible to get their votes.
“I do not want to misuse my position as the Home Minister in order for the police to reverse their decision on the permit issue.
“I have been involved in elections both at the state and general election level for years, and did not have to go through such a rigid set of laws,” said Muhyiddin at the PH Eco Rambah by-election operations centre here today.
Muhyiddin, who is also the Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malysia (Bersatu) president, added that he was hopeful that the police will be considerate on the matter.
He said he was not worried about the security at this by-election and urged his request for exemption on permits to be considered.
Meanwhile, on the by-election campaign, Muhyiddin said PH has identified 12 per cent of the Tanjung Piai voters who are undecided on their vote and known as fence sitters.
He said the PH machinery will try to meet and engage them in order to secure victory for the coalition’s candidate Karmaine Sardini.
The Tanjung Piai by-election will see a six-way contest between PH’s Karmaine Sardini, BN’s Datuk Seri Wee Jeck Seng, Gerakan’s Wendy Subramaniam, Berjasa’s Datuk Badhrulhisham Abdul Aziz, and two independent candidates Ang Chuan Lock and Faridah Aryani Abdul Ghaffar.
Polling is scheduled for this Saturday.
