NIBONG TEBAL: Umno supreme council member Datuk Seri Ahmad Maslan has urged all outstation voters to come back to vote in the Sungai Bakap by-election this Saturday.
He said the voters should utilise the long weekend to come back to vote.
"For this Sungai Bakap by-election, we hope the percentage of voters coming out to vote will not be too low compared with the state elections last August. At the time, the percentage of voters who came out to vote was 77 per cent.
"During the recent Kuala Kubu Baru by-election, the percentage of voters who came out to vote was 61 per cent. During the state elections, the percentage was 68 per cent, so this is a drop of seven per cent.
"So, we hope that Sungai Bakap voters who are outstation, will come back to vote.
"I am only urging voters voting for the unity government candidate to come back. If you are voting for the opposition, it doesn't matter whether you come back or not," he told newsmen in jest at the Sungai Bakap by-election media centre here.
The Sungai Bakap by-election will see a straight fight between Pakatan Harapan's Dr Joohari Ariffin and Perikatan Nasional's Abidin Ismail.
Voting has been set for this Saturday.
Earlier, Ahmad, who is Deputy Works Minister, was here to check on several projects being implemented by the unity government for the Seberang Prai Selatan district.
Among them are Universiti Sains Malaysia's clean water supply project worth RM6.15 million at its engineering campus in Transkrian, the construction of Jalan Bukit Panchor to the federal route (RM 11.26 million), the construction of a pump house, suction tank and external reticulation system for the Jawi Immigration depot and quarters (RM5.7 million) and the construction of the National Anti-Drug Agency office and lock-up (RM13 million).
For this year, Ahmad said one project was completed and handed over to the Education Ministry involving the construction of an additional block and classrooms at SK Sungai Duri at a cost of RM20 million.
He said the district's Works Department was also in charge of managing 192km-long state roads.
Last year, a total of RM12 million was spent for various construction works.