Anwar: Cameron Highlands loss a wake-up call for PH, PKR

KUALA LUMPUR: Pakatan Harapan’s (PH) defeat in the Cameron Highlands by-election on Saturday is a reminder to the leadership of the coalition, as well as its component parties, that it must be more cognizant of the people’s concerns regarding the economy and the cost of living.

As such, the leadership should work harder to fulfil PH’s 14th general election (GE14) manifesto, which promised to alleviate the rakyat’s financial burdens, said PKR president Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.

“We (also) have to deal with issues related to race and religion with full wisdom, for the benefit of all,” Anwar said in a statement today, adding that PKR accepts the results of the Cameron Highlands by-election.

According to Bernama, he also took the opportunity to congratulate Barisan Nasional’s Ramli Mohd Nor, who won the poll, and became the first Orang Asli Member of Parliament in Malaysia’s history.

The Port Dickson MP also congratulated the Election Commission for its smooth handling of the election, particularly in terms of managing public complaints and swift announcement of the results.

In yesterday’s by-election, Ramli garnered 12,038 votes to defeat PH’s M. Manogaran (8,800 votes), and two independent candidates – Sallehudin Ab Talib (314 votes) and Wong Seng Yee (276 votes).