Visitors take photos at Tanjung Piai National Park in Johor November 4, 2019. — Picture by Shafwan Zaidon

BANGKOK, Nov 4 — The Pakatan Harapan camp in the Tanjung Piai Parliamentary by-election will get a morale booster as its chairman and Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad said he will campaign for its candidate, Karmaine Sardini.

The Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (Bersatu) chairman, Dr Mahathir said: “I will.. at least once (campaign),” he said in a press conference with the Malaysian media in conjunction with the 35th Asean Summit here today.

The by-election for the Tanjung Piai parliamentary constituency on Nov 16 is seeing a six-cornered fight involving candidates from PH, Barisan Nasional (BN), Gerakan, Parti Barisan Jemaah Islamiah (Berjasa) and two independent candidates.

Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad said he will campaign for the Tanjung Piai Pakatan Harapan candidate, Karmaine Sardini. — Picture by Hari Anggara

PH which is on a mission to defend the seat it won in the 14th General Election (GE14) last year is fielding the head of the Tanjung Piai Bersatu Division, Karmaine Sardini, 66, while BN is fielding the former incumbent for the seat, Datuk Seri Dr Wee Jeck Seng, 55.

Also trying their luck are Gerakan, which nominated its national deputy secretary-general and national vice-head of the party’s Wanita Wing, Wendy Subramaniam, 38; president of Berjasa Datuk Dr Badhrulhisham Abdul Aziz, 56; and two independent candidates — tuition centre founder Ang Chuan Lock, 49, and businesswoman Faridah Aryani Abdul Ghaffar, 43.

Meanwhile, on the decision by the Kuala Lumpur High Court not to impose sanctions on Datuk Seri Najib Razak after his absence at 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) trial last Thursday, Dr Mahathir said he would not question the judges’ decision for not acting against the former prime minister.

“He is given days off and he doesn’t attend court but he can campaign in Tanjung Piai We don’t question the judges, they decide,” he said.

Last Thursday, Najib was absent from Kuala Lumpur High Court trial due swollen eyes but was in Johor from Thursday night onwards for the Tanjung Piai by-election nominations.

Before this, Najib had allegedly produced a medical certificate but attended a meeting with Umno and Pas session. — Bernama