Shafie denies cash handouts in Kimanis, slams 'gutter politics'

The image (photo) showed Shafie handing out RM50 notes as his other hand holding more notes.

In an immediate response, Shafie slammed the gutter politics that were being used against Warisan in the polls.

He admitted to having donated to the people but said this happened in Sandakan instead of Kimanis.

"I was in Sandakan after I officiated the (upgrading) of Sandakan Airport with Finance Minister Lim Guan Eng. (After) I performed my prayers in Sandakan,  I gave some donation to the people because I knew they were facing difficult times," he told the media at Kota Kinabalu today.

"That was not in Kimanis but Sandakan," said Shafie.

"It is not our intention to donate to the voters. The Sandakan people are not voting in Kimanis (by-election)," he said.

It was reported that Lim and Shafie launched the RM80.9 million upgrading works for Sandakan Airport. 

The by-election was called after the Federal Court, on Dec 2 last year, upheld an Election Court ruling that nullified Anifah Aman's 2018 victory for the Kimanis parliamentary seat.

Kimanis Umno chief Mohamad Alamin, 48, has been picked as the BN candidate, while Warisan picked its Kimanis division chief Karim Bujang.

Karim was five-term Bongawan state assemblyperson since the 1990 general election under the Usno and BN ticket respectively until he was dropped in 2013.

Mohamad was fielded as BN's candidate for the Bongawan state seat in the 2013 general election but failed to retain the seat in 2018.

Karim then left Umno for Warisan and was fielded as Warisan's candidate for Kimanis in last general election.