Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC) leader Rauff Hakeem has hit back at criticism over a recent viral clip of his remarks in Samanthurai, saying the comment was taken out of context and misinterpreted to stir political controversy.
Speaking at a political rally in Ampara, the veteran MP clarified what he called a misunderstanding surrounding his statement, “Don’t vote on the telephone”—a phrase that many interpreted as a jab at the Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB), which contests under the telephone symbol.
Hakeem explained that the SLMC remains firmly rooted in Samanthurai and is contesting over 100 Pradeshiya Sabhas across the country under its own banner. While a small number of SLMC candidates are contesting under the SJB in some areas, Hakeem emphasized that in Samanthurai, the party stands independently and holds strong influence.
“In my speech, I said Samanthurai should not be handed to ‘the Samanthurai’—meaning the candidates running against us there,” he clarified. “They are trying to claim the SLMC’s stronghold as their own.”
Hakeem added that several SLMC members who were rejected in the internal nomination process are now contesting under the SJB and falsely claiming the blessing of the Muslim Congress leadership.
“This created confusion. I had to respond and clarify. I never spoke against the SJB itself, only that the SJB doesn’t have political clout in Samanthurai. So why should we give them precedence there?”
He further noted that the SJB leadership had sought clarification over his remarks, prompting him to issue this explanation.
“My criticism was not of the SJB as a whole. I just said that the telephone symbol is outdated in this region. It doesn’t represent the power or support base we hold,” he said.
Hakeem maintained that the SLMC and the SJB are allies, but local dynamics in Samanthurai required the SLMC to stand its ground independently. His remarks, he argued, were a defense of party loyalty, not a rejection of coalition politics.
The incident, now widely shared on social media, has sparked debate about intra-party loyalty and the shifting sands of Sri Lanka’s local political alignments ahead of the elections.
