REMBAU: Independent candidate Muhammad Syakir Fitri Sadri is claiming that an imposter is using his likeliness online to convince supporters to vote for his opponents.
The candidate for the Paroi state assembly seat said that a member of the public alerted him of the ruse earlier this week.
“I was then forwarded a WhatsApp conversation that was using my photo and name linked to an unknown number. It showed the person sharing a campaign poster of my opponent and urging the receiver to support that candidate.
“I wish to reiterate again that I am not joining this race as a Trojan horse and I am running on my own as an independent,” he said at a press conference on Thursday (Aug 10) at his operations room in Senawang.
He added that if he wanted to remain in a political party he would have done so.
“I know both candidates on a personal level and we just have differing political ideologies. But once this battle ends we can come together again for the betterment of the people in Paroi,” he said.
Muhammad Syakir was previously a special officer to former state youth and sports committee chairman Datuk Mohamed Taufek Abd Ghani, who is from Amanah.
He also said that Mohamed Taufek had been seen campaigning for Amanah’s candidate for the seat, Norwani Ahmat.
“So that should prove that I am not linked to any parties,” he said.
He added that a police report had been lodged to protect himself from further misuse of his identity.
Muhammad Syakir along with Pakatan Harapan’s Norwani Ahmat and Perikatan Nasional’s Kamarul Ridzuan Mohd Zain will be contesting one another for the N.25 Paroi seat in the upcoming state elections.
