Penang UMNO election machinery will give detailed explanation on national issues throughout the campaign for the Permatang Pauh parliamentary by-election.
Its chairman, Datuk Seri Zainal Abidin Osman, said they would ensure that appropriate explanation were given to voters, be it on the Goods and Services Tax (GST), 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) or even on former Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad's criticisms on UMNO, so that they would fully understand the issues.
"We have many issues to be addressed. We have our own active information machinery, not including 1,800 members from Wanita UMNO who visit the voters from house-to house.
"We also have UMNO representatives from Federal Territories and other states prepared to give the voters all the necessary explanation on GST, 1MDB, and Tun Dr Mahathir's criticisms," he told reporters at the Kampung Pelet polling district centre in Bukit Mertajam, Wednesday.
Meanwhile, Zainal Abidin said it was high time for the voters in Permatang Pauh to pay more attention to local issues, especially job opportunities and physical development, in selecting their new parliamentarian.
He said this was because they had been forced to focus on 'national issues' for the past 17 years, which resulted in them being lagged behind in development.
"The local people have been forced to focus on national issues just because one particular opposition leader claimed to have been defamed and wrongly accused. All these issues were turned into national issues by the opposition pact.
"So, it is high time for them to think of the future of the constituency and give a chance to a local candidate who will stay here and serve them better," he added.
The by-election for the Permatang Pauh is being held after the incumbent Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim lost his eligibility as the Member of Parliament when the Pardons Board rejected the petition for a royal pardon sought by Anwar through his family members.
Anwar is now serving a five-year jail term after being convicted for sodomising her former personal assistant Mohd Saiful Bukhari Azlan.
The Election Commission fixed May 7 for polling day for the Permatang Pauh by-election while nomination day will be April 25 and early voting on May 3.
BERNAMA
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