PAS laments BN's 'uncivilised' attacks

PAS has slammed personal attacks levelled against its candidate in the Tenang by-election, calling these the work “uncivilised” people.

Referring to allegations about candidate Normala Sudirman's first marriage, as well as her teacher-husband Maarof Abd Mutalib's mdical leave, party leaders lamented this was happening, and went on to say that PAS leaders had never delved into low-down attacks on BN candidate Mohd Azahar Ibrahim.

“This is probably the first time in history that the spouse of a candidate is attacked during a campaign.

“They attacked him so much that it’s like he’s already an independent candidate.

“But it’s up to them if they want to investigate. Do investigate (also) those Umno members who are teachers who also kautim (are in cahoots) with their headmasters to take sick leave to attend the Umno general assembly,” Pokok Sena MP Mahfuz Omar (above, left) said.

Pro-Umno blogs as well as Utusan Malaysia had previously reported that Maarof (seated right, with Normala) took 21 days of sick leave before the start of the by-election.

He has also been regularly seen alongside his wife, claiming that he is merely "accompanying" her.

Civil servants are prohibited from political activities.

Despite his repeated insistence that revelations about Mohd Azahar’s past dealings as an assistant district officer were not of a personal nature, Mahfuz reiterated that PAS was merely questioning the integrity and professionalism of the BN candidate.

But dripping with sarcasm, Mahfuz - who is also a PAS vice-president - said that there were things about BN leaders that were off-limit to PAS campaigners.

“You think we don’t know about Mohd Azahar’s background? And his wife? You think we don’t know about (MCA president Dr Chua Soi Lek’s) video?” he asked.

“And about Normala’s first marriage, so what? Now she is happily married. I also told people not to talk about the first marriages of (Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak) and his wife (Rosmah Mansor).

“Now look at them. They’re also happily married, until they can go overseas and spend a lot of money,” he remarked.

“This just shows how uncivilised the BN and Umno leaders are,” Mahfuz said at the daily press conference in the PAS operations centre in Bandar Labis Tengah this morning - likely to be its  last press conference of the campaign. The Tenang voters go to the polls tomorrow.

PAS' final preparations in place

At the meantime, PAS has already put in place its activities for the final hours until tomorrow.

Johor PAS deputy commissioner Dzulkefly Ahmad (left) said he has not received any report of phantom voters and that his main concern was on outstation voters, who the party estimates will number about 500.

“We already have a taskforce to handle that, but our people won’t be able to recognise every single face here in Tenang,” he said

Dzulkefly also said he opposition's polling and counting agents, as well as those to be stationed at the Election Commission booths, have gone through several rounds of training.

Meanwhile, PAS’ national elections director Abdul Fatah Haron hoped there would be no repeat of “thuggish displays by BN supporters, as in the case of the Bagan Pinang by-election”.