NIBONG TEBAL: Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has reminded Sungai Bakap by-election voters, especially the youth, to give the unity government candidate an opportunity to represent them.
The prime minister's senior political secretary, Datuk Seri Shamsul Iskandar Md Akin, said the reminder was crucial so that more infrastructure programmes and development could be implemented comprehensively in Sungai Bakap.
"Now the Penang government is in line with the federal government… help the state government, prime minister to support the candidate who can be of assistance," he told reporters after officiating the Madani B40 Greenhouse Project at the Kampung Sungai Duri Community Movement Hall.
He added that Anwar was concerned about the Sungai Bakap area, which is also the birthplace of the nation's 10th prime minister, and always focused on the locals in the area, among them being the allocation of RM7 million for the development of Masjid Lama Sungai Bakap, Seberang Perai Selatan, as announced on July 16 last year.
The unity government is banking on the former director of Institut Aminuddin Baki (Northern Branch), Dr Joohari Ariffin of Pakatan Harapan, to wrest the state seat while Perikatan Nasional named former logistics executive Abidin Ismail, who is also the Nibong Tebal Pas vice-chief.
Joohari and Abidin are involved in a straight fight in the July 6 by-election, which was called following the death of assemblyman Nor Zamri Latiff from Pas on May 24 due to stomach inflammation.
Earlier, Shamsul presented donations in the form of eggplants, okra and chilli seedlings from Syarikat Alam Maju Madani Enterprise to 500 families in the area to help reduce the burden on B40 families through agricultural produce. - NST
