KUALA LUMPUR: Parti Gerakan Malaysia (Gerakan) today lambasted the announcement of a RM5.21 million project headed by Housing and Local Government Minister Nga Kor Ming.

Gerakan president Datuk Dr Dominic Lau described the allocation provided for the project as an immature practice of politics which could influence the voting pattern of the constituents ahead of the Kuala Kubu Baharu (KKB) by-election.

"The minister (Nga) recently announced an allocation of RM5.21 million for KKB. While it is not unusual for such announcements to happen, it became the centre of attention following the KKB by-election.

"It is no longer an allocation issue, it is a national issue and everybody is now looking at KKB," he said in a press conference at its headquarters, today.

On Thursday, Nga announced an allocation of RM5.21 million from his ministry for Hulu Selangor residents to be used for infrastructure projects in the area.

The announcement has since received criticism from several quarters, including electoral watchdog Coalition for Clean and Fair Elections (Bersih) and Muar member of parliament Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman who questioned the need for the allocation following the by-election in KKB.

Following this, DAP Selangor has reiterated its stance that the announcement of a RM5.2 million project ahead of the KKB by-election is not wrong and is a common practice.

Its election director for the KKB by-election Ng Sze Han said this is a common practice as it was done before the nomination day.

Meanwhile, Lau also said the KKB by-election will be the public's referendum to show dissatisfaction towards the administration of Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim following several issues that still could not be resolved, including rice issues and the depreciation of the ringgit.

"The government says that they are capable but for us, the people are suffering. Hence, let this by-election become a referendum over the government's inability to fulfil promises given to the people and let this be a lesson for them.

"This will also not just be a fight between PN and Pakatan Harapan (PH) but also Gerakan facing DAP. Hence, we will show DAP that Chinese votes are not solely theirs, and we will campaign wholeheartedly even if the candidate is not from Gerakan."

The Election Commission (EC) has fixed May 11 for the KKB by-election.

The by-election is being held following the death of its three-term assemblywoman Lee Kee Hiong from the DAP on March 21 after a battle with cancer.

https://www.nst.com.my/news/politics/2024/04/1040392/gerakan-slams-ngas-rm521-million-project-announcement-ahead-kkb