TG PIAI POLLS | Pakatan Harapan candidate Karmaine Sardini's remarks for cultivators to be grateful for the current RM270 per tonne price for oil palm has been attributed to overconsumption of palm oil.

“I believe this is the result of drinking too much palm oil. They (Harapan) are comfortable in Putrajaya but the people are told to be grateful.

“This (statement) is to legitimise their action to dismantle and reduce aid for the people,” said Puteri Umno chief Zahida Zarik Khan (above).

The consumption of palm oil was an obvious swipe at Primary Industries Minister Teresa Kok, who told the Dewan Rakyat in April that she managed to maintain her youthful looks by drinking a spoonful of red palm oil a day.

According to Umno Online, Zahida also challenged Karmaine, who would be contesting in the Tanjung Piai by-election on Nov 16, to live on an income of RM1,000 per month.

“Okay. We challenge him to do so. Under Harapan, (things) are expensive due to the SST and other taxes,” she said.

Malaysiakini reported that Karmaine (photo) told a ceramah in the Penerok polling district last night that Harapan has received complaints that oil palm fruit prices have gone down to RM270 per tonne.

“We should be grateful for RM270. Actually, RM270 is a lot.

"If they have 10 acres, they can get five tonnes of fruits at least... Times that with RM270 and that is over RM1,000.

"If you live in a village, what do you really have to pay for? If you want to eat vegetables, you can grow it yourselves. You only need to pay for fuel.

"You have to be grateful for this, even if it is just a bit, we can still eat," he had said.

According to the Bersatu member, the situation was worse under BN where the price fell as low as RM87 per tonne.

Karmaine would be facing five candidates in his bid to retain the Malay-majority parliamentary seat for Harapan in Johor.

The other candidates are two-term Tanjung Piai assemblyperson Wee Jeck Seng, who is representing BN, Berjasa's Badhrulhisham Abdul Aziz, Gerakan's Wendy Subramaniam as well as independent candidates Ang Chuan Lock and Faridah Aryani Abd Ghaffar.

In the last general election, Bersatu's Dr Mohd Farid Mohd Rafik garnered 21,255 votes against Wee, who received 20,731 votes, winning by a 524-vote margin.

The by-election was called following Farid's death in September.

This morning, more than 150 smallholders and Felda settlers staged a protest outside the Parliament building in Kuala Lumpur over the low price of oil palm.