Akmal’s presence in Mahkota bare minimum

Umno Youth chief Datuk Dr Akmal Saleh’s presence in the Mahkota by-election have been kept to a bare minimum to ensure BN-Umno candidate Syed Hussien Syed Abdullah captures the majority of the Chinese votes.

An Umno leader who spoke on the condition of anonymity told FMT that the Barisan Nasional lynchpin acknowledged the importance of ensuring that all Mahkota voters felt represented and respected, in order to gain their support.

“The Chinese voters will play a crucial role in this by-election, and we are working hard to ensure a strong turnout from them, as their support is essential for us to succeed.

“We understand that certain comments made by Akmal in the past may have upset the Chinese community. Hence, we are taking steps to ensure that our message is inclusive and unifying,” the leader said.

Akmal most recently went after Seputeh MP Teresa Kok over the mandatory halal certification issue and regarded the seasoned federal lawmaker as “nyonya tua”.

Mahkota is mixed constituency with 54% Malay voters. The Chinese make up 35% and the Indians, eight.

The by-election on Sept 28 will see Syed Hussein facing off Bersatu’s Haizan Jaafar.