KUALA KUBU BAHARU – Although Perikatan Nasional’s (PN) candidate for the Kuala Kubu Baharu by-election this Saturday is from Bersatu, PAS members have been told that refraining from voting would be “haram”.
Party secretary-general Datuk Seri Takiyuddin Hassan said although this was not a fatwa, he hoped constituents would cast their ballots to curb the downward trend of voter turnout.
“We know voter turnout is not high. We must say that this is a jihad to save the situation in our nation and state,” he said in PN’s ceramah here last night.
“I especially say to friends from PAS, it is haram for PAS members to not come out and vote here. This is not a fatwa but is what we are asserting.
“If (PAS president Tan Sri Abdul Hadi Awang) said it (voting) is fardu ain (an obligatory act Muslims must perform), then it is equivalent to being haram if we do not carry it out.”
Takiyuddin said PN candidate Khairul Azhari Saut was a committed leader and only the people’s “power” could usher him into the Kuala Kubu Baharu.
Khairul Azhari, 54, is Hulu Selangor Bersatu acting division chief. His main rival in the by-election is DAP-Pakatan Harapan’s Pang Sock Tao, 31, the former press secretary to Housing and Local Government Minister Nga Kor Ming.
Two other candidates from Parti Rakyat Malaysia and an independent make it a four-cornered fight.
Takiyuddin later told reporters that it is “up to voters” to decide whether to take his call as a fatwa or not.
As the order was issued by Hadi himself, Takiyuddin told constituents living outside of Kuala Kubu Baharu to put more effort into returning to cast their ballots.
The Kuala Kubu Baharu seat is 50% Malay, about 30% Chinese and 18% Indian while Orang Asli comprise the remainder of voters.
Polling day for the Kuala Kubu Baharu by-election is set for May 11, while early voting is today.
The seat was vacated following the death of assemblywoman Lee Kee Hiong due to cancer. She had defended the seat for Pakatan Harapan-DAP since winning it in 2013. – May 7, 2024