ROMPIN: With only three days left before the polling day, candidates contesting the Tioman state seat in the 15th General Election (GE15) are intensifying their campaign to win the votes of the electors.
Barisan Nasional (BN) candidate Datuk Seri Mohd Johari Hussain, who is the incumbent, described the last few days of campaigning as a critical time.
Taking into account the current collaboration between BN and Pakatan Harapan (PH) in Pahang, Mohd Johari said several joint initiatives and programmes were held over the past few days.
“We are also holding joint programmes, which I consider very important to show the cooperation (between BN and PH) to ensure victory for BN,“ he told reporters after observing the early voting process at the Rompin District Police Headquarters today.
Last Nov 28, PH, which is fielding Mohd Fadzli Mohd Ramly, from Parti Amanah Negara (Amanah), for the seat, announced to give way to the BN candidate to increase the latter’s chances of winning, but his (Mohd Fadzli) name will still be on the ballot papers.
According to the EC, the status of the candidates cannot be changed after their nominations were accepted.
Meanwhile, Perikatan Nasional (PN) candidate Nor Idayu Hashim said she had managed to implement 70 per cent of her campaign programmes, which included meetings with electors in the constituency.
The lone female candidate for the seat who is vying for the first time, Nor Idayu said her campaign schedule was hectic and expressed gratitude to the party machinery, including from outside Rompin, for helping her.
“So far, the feedback I got from the electors towards PN is very good, but we are not taking it for granted. We will intensify our campaign in the last few days that we have to get as much support as possible,“ she said.
Retired teacher Sulaiman Bakar, who is contesting as an Independent candidate, admitted that the challenge facing him, but still hoped to get the support of the voters so that he could bring about change in the constituency.
If elected, Sulaiman, who is using the prawn symbol, said he would create more job opportunities for the locals to reduce the rural-urban migration of the young people from the constituency.
He admitted feeling nervous as the polling day got closer.
Polling for the Tioman state seat for GE15 was postponed to Dec 7 following the death of PN candidate Md Yunus Ramli, 61, last Nov 19, which was the polling day for GE15.
Apart from Mohd Johari, Mohd Fadzli, Nor Idayu and Sulaiman, another candidate contesting the Tioman state seat is Osman A Bakar, of Pejuang.
The Electoral Roll for the election contains 28,465 electors, consisting of 28,200 ordinary voters, 243 policemen and three Overseas Absentee Voters.
Today, 95.88 per cent of the 243 registered early voters came out to exercise their rights at two early voting centres, namely the Rompin District Police Headquarters and Tekek Police Station, Pulau Tioman. - Bernama
