BN was only party to offer Orang Asli opportunity to contest in GE - Ramli

KUALA LUMPUR: Incumbent Cameron Highlands Member of Parliament Datuk Ramli Mohd Nor will accept whatever decision made by the Barisan Nasional (BN) and UMNO leadership on the allocation of seats for the 15th General Election.

Ramli said BN is the only party that offered a seat for an Orang Asli candidate in the previous General Election and if he was given the opportunity to contest again and in the event that he wins the seat, he would continue to provide the best service to the people, especially to the Orang Asli community so as to ensure the voice of the Orang Asli community is heard at the national level.

"I am a member of UMNO and I will accept whatever decision made by BN and UMNO. If given a chance and picked as a candidate, I will do my best to defend the seat and provide the best service in Cameron Highlands. God willing," he told Bernama today.

Ramli won the Cameron Highlands seat during a by-election after the Election Court had ruled the Cameron Highland seat vacant, following proof of corrupt practices during the election for the seat which was won by BN candidate Datuk C. Sivarrajah from the MIC.

However, there are rumours that the seat, normally contested by the MIC, would be handed to UMNO while the MIC would be given the opportunity to contest in Teluk Intan.

According to statistics, the composition of the 45,749 voters in Cameron Highlands is made up of 14,687 Malays, 13,165 Orang Asli; 12,404 (Chinese) and 5,493 (Indians).

Ramli won the by-election with a 3,238 vote majority.

-- BERNAMA