PAKATAN Harapan’s (PH) candidate for Buntong in Perak, Thulsi Manogaran, has slammed those who vandalised her campaign materials as polling day nears.
“We thought we had passed beyond this kind of politics, but sadly, political vandalism continues to thrive,” Thulsi, a human rights activist and DAP member, said in a statement.
As such, Thulsi trained her guns at those claiming they want clean, fair and mature political campaigning for the 15th General Elections (GE15).
“This is turning out to be untrue,” the daughter of former Teluk Intan MP M. Manogaran and former lawyer lamented.
Thulsi said she and her team are relying on donations and contributions from the public – some of whom give from the little that they have – to run the campaign of her first electoral debut.
“The vandalism of my campaign posters, buntings, flags and banners is a direct attack against the people, not just me,” she said. “I urge them to remember that.”
What is even more disheartening, she added, is that her team does not hire contractors to put up the flags, banners and posters.
“The work is done by the good people of Buntong and local PH supporters who are all working tirelessly for the campaign,” the former coordinator for the freedom of expression (FOE) cluster of civil society organisations (CSOs) said.
“To see their work destroyed makes me sad.”
PH’s candidate for Segambut, Hannah Yeoh, recently had her campaign banners and billboards in Taman Tun Dr Ismail (TTDI), Kuala Lumpur, vandalised as well. A police report has been lodged by her team.
Thulsi, meanwhile, urged all political parties campaigning in Buntong to practice mature politics and let the fight in GE15 be based on the policies and ideas to make the constituency a better place.
“At the end of the day, victory belongs to the people of Buntong because they made their choice freely to elect a candidate who best represents their dream and aspirations for the constituency through a fair process,” she said.
When the country goes to the polls this Saturday (Nov 19), Thulsi will be up against Buntong incumbent state assemblyman A. Sivasubramaniam (Perikatan Nasional/PN), S. Jayagopi (Barisan Nasional/BN) and two independents.
Buntong is considered a safe seat for PH – after all, its incumbent, who was formerly with DAP but later jumped ship to Gerakan, Bersatu, Parti Bangsa Malaysia (PBM) and then back again to Bersatu, held the state seat since 2008, garnering majorities of more than 60% each time there were state polls.
Buntong is also unique in that it has the greatest percentage of Indian voters among state constituencies in Malaysia (48.45% as of 2018), collectively making a PH win come GE15 an almost guarantee. – Nov 13, 2022
Main photo credit: Thulsi Manogaran
