Azmin Caps Off Campaign By Reviving Dr M S Barua Row

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PKR POLLS | Incumbent PKR deputy president Mohd Azmin Ali has capped off his party election campaign by addressing allegations that he was Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad's barua (lackey)
In a speech in Kuala Selangor last night, Azmin told some 100 supporters that if he was anyone's lackey, he would be a lackey of the people of Selangor
He said that as a cabinet minister, he had convinced Putrajaya to increase allocations to the state. "This is what I did. I had to convince them that Selangor needs help, too. We got another RM400 million
"I was accused of being 'barua Tun Dr Mahathir'. I am not Mahathir's barua. I am the barua of the people of Selangor," said Azmin
In August, a widely circulated audio clip purportedly depicting PKR de facto leader Anwar Ibrahim referring to Azmin as Mahathir's lackey began making rounds
Anwar has since denied saying so
During the low-key campaign stop with Selangor Menteri Besar Amirudin Shari last night, Azmin urged party members in Kuala Selangor to resist vote-buying attempts when polls resume on Sunday
"This Sunday will be a heated affair. There will be cheating and abuse of power. The hidden hand will act... I know there are those offering money for votes," he said
However, Azmin said even when the odds were against the opposition during the May 9 elections, they prevailed
"Look at the May 9 elections. Najib (Abdul Razak) had money, the Election Commission, the police, the courts ... But when the people came out in large numbers to vote, Najib was scuttled," he said
Azmin said a large turnout will negate any attempts to rig the elections
Final lapAll PKR divisions in Selangor have completed their elections except for Kuala Selangor, which had its voting postponed due to a deliberate attempt to disrupt the voting centre's internet connection
Meanwhile, Azmin urged PKR members to elect leaders who are "being tested" and those who "have been tested"
He said his short stint as Selangor menteri besar had impressed Mahathir, which resulted in him being made a cabinet minister in charge of the economy
"Previously, I was in Selangor – a rich state in a country that was on the verge of bankruptcy. But I took on the challenge. Within PKR, I learned that when I'm entrusted with responsibilities, I must do my best for the people," he said
He said one of his major assignments by Mahathir was to renegotiate the terms of the Kuala Lumpur-Singapore High-Speed Rail project, which has now been shelved for two years
With 90 percent of the PKR voting having completed, Azmin is leading challenger Rafizi Ramli by about 3,200 votes in the battle for party’s deputy president. - Mkini

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