IPOH – The weather is taking a toll on both candidates and voters, with events being rained out, where frustrated candidates and the electorate are seething at those responsible for holding the general election during the rainy season.
The latest casualty is a dinner in Taman Sri Kanthan held in honour of Tambun candidate, Pakatan Harapan (PH) chairman and PKR president Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.
The dinner, hosted by Chinese organisations, was supposed to be held yesterday, but had to be rescheduled to tonight due to Anwar’s packed itinerary, which sees him traversing the country, including Sabah and Sarawak, in the run up to Saturday’s polling day.
“He is supposed to fly in from Bagan Datuk where he is giving a ceramah,” said DAP’s Howard Lee, who is organising the dinner.
“Now, his flight is grounded…he will have to come by road, which is a three-hour journey in this weather,” said Lee, who is PH’s choice for Ipoh Timur.
A seething Lee said this frustration, which is exactly what Umno had wanted, however, may backfire.
“The tactical advantage that (Datuk Seri) Ahmad Zahid Hamidi sought in forcing elections during monsoon and flood season is starting to play out.
“The strategy of using the rain to drown out the growing waves of the people’s support…is not really working,” he told The Vibes.
In Ipoh, it started to rain at 4pm and is expected to be wet throughout the night. There is no indication that the weather will clear up anytime tomorrow.
The Meteorological Department has already warned that November 19 will be mostly rainy.
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob said if the weather persists on election day to the point of endangering voters, the Election Commission has the power to defer the polls. – The Vibes, November 14, 2022
