PUTRAJAYA, 1 OCTOBER, 2010: Umno vice president Datuk Seri Mohd Shafie Apdal said today that he believed that the Orang Asli voters in Galas are mature enough to make the right choice in the upcoming by-election in the state constituency.
Mohd Shafie, who is Rural and Regional Development Minister, said they could tell the difference between what the federal government had done for them as compared to the PAS government in Kelantan.
This included the issue of land, whereby the federal government had paid land premium of RM24.3 million for Orang Asli land in 2006 but till now the Kelantan government had yet to issue the grants concerned, he told reporters after chairing a meeting on the Orang Asli Land Act with representatives of the Perak government, here.
Also present was Perak Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Zambry Abdul Kadir.
Shafie said the premium was paid so that the land could be developed for agriculture to assist the Orang Asli living there.
Of the 11,000 registered voters in Galas, over 1,700 of them are from the Orang Asli community.
In PORT DICKSON, MCA vice president and Local Government and Housing Minister Datuk Wira Chor Chee Heung said MCA was ready to hit the campaign trail in Galas.
The party would focus on areas where the majority of voters were Chinese, he told reporters after launching the rehabilitation project for Taman Anngerik, Teluk Kemang, here.
In MELAKA, Melaka Chief Minister Datuk Seri Mohd Ali Rustam, who is also Melaka Umno chief, said Melaka Umno would be sending 50 campaigners to assist the Barisan Nasional’s election machinery.
He said the appointment of Gua Musang Member of Parliament Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah augured well towards the BN’s chances of re-capturing the seat.
In KUANTAN, Umno information chief Datuk Ahmad Maslan said with careful planning and full commitment of all BN component parties, winning back the seat should not be a problem.
The by-election presented the BN golden opportunity to prove itself to the people of Galas, he told reporters after attending a community function Felda Sungai Panching Selatan here.
In KOTA BAHARU, PAS deputy president Nasharuddin Mat Isa said whether the BN fielded Tengku Razaleigh as the candidate or not, it did not make any difference to PAS.
“PAS will be fighting Umno, not Tengku Razaleigh,” he said.
