PADANG SERAI: Barisan Nasional (BN) candidate for the Padang Serai parliamentary election Datuk C. Sivaraj said he accepted the party's decision to withdraw from the polls and make way for Pakatan Harapan (PH) candidate Dr Mohamad Sofee Razak.
However, Sivaraj pledged to continue providing his service to the constituents in his personal capacity while urging the Prime Minister and the federal government to look into his five pledges made to the people in Padang Serai during his campaign here.
"I take note on the Barisan Nasional's top leadership decision regarding BN's participation in the P017 Padang Serai parliamentary seat as announced by the Kedah BN chairman last night.
"I hereby obliged to accept the party's decision. There is no interest that supersedes the interest of the party. The party comes first," Sivaraj, who is also the MIC Central Working Committee member said in a statement today.
Sivaraj believed that his works in Padang Serai over the past three years had lighted the hope for thousands people in the constituency.
"They are the mothers who always treat me as if I were their own child, the sisters and brothers who never hesitate to advice and guide me when necessary, the youths who had always cheered and supported me.
"These are the people who motivated me to continue providing the best possible services all this while," he said.
Sivaraj added that considering the situation, he has decided to continue serving the people of Padang Serai although he acknowledged that he would not be able to resolve main issues faced by the constituents.
"I request the YAB Prime Minister and the federal government to look into the issues that have been highlighted in my manifesto - 5 Pledges for Padang Serai to be given due attention.
"Padang Serai is still far behind in all aspects. It is unfair for the people of Padang Serai to continue to be ignored," he said.
Sivaraj expressed his immense gratitude to BN machinery and the media representatives for rendering full support for his services in the constituency over the last three years.
"In addition, I would also like to express my appreciation to the top leadership of Barisan Nasional for the opportunity and space that has been given to me during these three years in Padang Serai. I am confident that I have offered my best service to represent Barisan Nasional in Padang Serai," he said.
Yesterday evening, the state BN chairman Datuk Seri Jamil Khir Baharom announced the party decision to withdraw from the Padang Serai parliamentary election and to lend full support for PH candidate.
Jamil made the announcement during the first joint-rally between the state BN and PH in Taman Desa Aman here.
Meanwhile, Sofee said he was having a meeting with the state MIC leadership later this evening to discuss on the further cooperation in the campaign.
"We still have four days to go on the ground and explain to the electoral in particular BN supporters on the decision," he told reporters when met at the Kulim district police headquarters to inspect the early voting process this morning.
The Padang Serai parliamentary seat was previously held by PH's M. Karupaiya when he secured a 8,813 vote-majority win, beating MCA candidate Datuk Dr Leong Yong Kong and Mohammad Sobri Osman from Pas in the previous general election.
Karupaiya, 69, was nominated again by PH on Nov 5 to defend the seat. However, he died on Nov 16, two days after being admitted to Kulim Hospital due to a heart attack while campaigning.
Following his death, the Election Commission had decided to postpone the Padang Serai polls to Dec 7.
Padang Serai has 133,767 eligible voters, with 81,230 of the voters in Lunas state constituency while the remaining 52,546 voters in Merbau Pulas constituency.
The contest for the Padang Serai parliamentary seat will see a six-cornered fight between PH candidate Dr Mohamad Sofee Razak, Datuk C. Sivaraajh (Barisan Nasional), Datuk Azman Nasrudin (Perikatan Nasional) and Hamzah Abd Rahman (Pejuang).
The other two contenders are Mohd Bakhri Hashim, representing Warisan, and independent candidate Sreanandha Rao.
However, Warisan had announced earlier that the party was pulling out from the race after the party became part of the unity government comprising PH and BN at the federal level.