Halimey says voters in Seri Setia only wanted the state constituency to be administered by the PH government and are not concerned about whether BRIM payments are reduced or discontinued. — Picture Firdaus Latif

KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 28 ― The 1Malaysia People's Aid (BR1M) payouts which is expected to be weaned out and eventually discontinued, will not in any way affect Pakatan Harapan’s (PH) chances of winning the Seri Setia state by-election.

PH candidate Halimey Abu Bakar of PKR said voters in the area only wanted the state constituency to be administered by the PH government.

“So far, the constituents whom I’ve met are not concerned about whether BRIM payments are reduced or discontinued. All they want is for PH to win.

“The people here are more likely to talk about the Inisiatif Peduli Rakyat (Concern for the people ― an initiative mooted by PKR-led Selangor government), and are not bothered about the BR1M, the 100-day manifesto or other issues,” he told Bernama yesterday.

Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad had recently said that he intended to reduce BR1M in stages before discontinuing the payouts, labelling the initiative as a form of corruption that was not being properly distributed to the relevant groups.

Halimey said he was confident of the support of especially young voters for him and the PH government.

“I am a local candidate and quite close to the people, even while serving as a member of the Petaling Jaya City Council, various infrastructural facilities have already been implemented here,” he shared.

Halimey will face PAS Dr Halimah Ali, a former state executive councillor, to fill the state seat after incumbent Prof Dr Shaharuddin Badaruddin of the PKR died of intestinal cancer on August 2.

The Election Commission (EC) has set the date for the Seri Setia and Balakong state by-elections on September 8.

The Balakong state seat fell vacant after the incumbent Eddie Ng Tien Chee was killed in an accident on July 20. ― Bernama