REMBAU: Rantau by-election candidate Dr S. Streram has brushed aside Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s claim that Pakatan Harapan (PH) is conducting a smear campaign against rival Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan.
Dr Streram, who is contesting under the PH ticket, said he was merely raising issues concerning the Barisan Nasional (BN) candidate, more commonly known as Tok Mat.
“It has been 11 days of campaigning. Have we done to anything to assassinate anyone’s character?
“We were merely raising issues that Tok Mat raised. He admitted to sending RM10 million to purchase an apartment in London.
“So we are asking him the source of income that enabled him to make the purchase and why he transferred money via a money changer and not the normal process,” he told reporters during a walkabout at Kampung Sega in Rantau, here, today.
Yesterday, at a ceramah in Kampung Kanchong, Najib claimed that PH was mounting a character assassination campaign against Mohamad, who has held the Rantau state seat since 2004.
The former prime minister had claimed that the PH election machinery would dredge up nine issues in an attempt to sully Mohamad’s reputation.
Najib had also criticised Dr Streram, saying voters in Rantau would not vote for an anaesthetist who “only knew how to put people to sleep”.
“Maybe Najib doesn’t understand what an anaesthetist does. We don’t make people sleep for fun.
“But we will put BN leaders like Najib to sleep,” he quipped.
On claims by Umno and PAS that the rights and welfare of the Malays would be under threat if PH won, Dr Streram said he would serve everyone regardless of race.
“To me, I love them (the Malays) a lot. They’re my family and they’re part of a bigger family that we are promoting as a multiracial party.
“What I will do for any community, I will also do for the Malay community. I have never marginalised the Malay community.”
He also said Malay rights were enshrined under the Federal Constitution.
“Nobody can change that. I have never questioned Malay rights or called for equal rights. Personally, I believe I will protect the rights of the Malay community.”
The Rantau by-election sees a four-cornered fight between Mohamad, Dr Streram and two independent candidates - R. Malarvizhi and Mohd Nor Yassin.
The seat has 20,926 registered voters, including 118 early voters and four absentee voters.
Polling day for the by-election has been set for April 13, with early voting being held yesterday.