SG BAKAP BY-ELECTION | A suggested friendly football match between teams led by Deputy Energy Transition and Water Transformation Minister Akmal Nasrullah Mohd Nasir and Kedah Menteri Besar Muhammad Sanusi Md Nor at Taman Pektra, Simpang Ampat today has been called off.
Akmal said the match was cancelled as they did not receive the final decision from Sanusi’s side. However, he said they would proceed with a game against a team of local youth led by Pakatan Harapan’s candidate for Sungai Bakap by-election Joohari Ariffin.
“Some are asking whether the football game tomorrow will go on as planned in Taman Pektra. I couldn’t answer before 3pm because the other side was going ‘ding dong, ding dong’ (no reply).
“His (Sanusi) poster says there’s a match tomorrow but there are two problems: First we know he likes to dilly-dally, and make excuses. He had placed conditions previously, but we said (such conditions) wouldn’t apply as he should not stop youths from playing.
“Then he retracts (the conditions). Imagine tomorrow, I’m afraid of Perikatan Nasional attitude, he might even field 15 players. He might even shift the goalposts, that’s what they do,” Akmal said at the Mega Unity Ceramah in Taman Tasek Indah, Simpang Ampat last night.
PKR deputy president Rafizi Ramli, Penang DAP chairman Chow Kon Yeow, PKR vice-president Nurul Izzah Anwar and Jelutong MP RSN Rayer were also present at the ceramah.
Akmal had previously extended an invitation to Sanusi to a friendly football match at the Unity Ceramah last Sunday and also invited him to discuss the water supply issue in Sungai Bakap.
Sanusi accepted the football invitation on Facebook and asked Akmal to finance the match personally without using ministry allocations.
Joohari faces Nibong Tebal PAS vice-president Abidin Ismail in a straight fight in the Sungai Bakap by-election on July 6.
- Bernama
