2 theSun | TUESDAY AUGUST 11 2009

news without borders

Permatang Pasir by-election

Najib: BN to
Nomination day is Aug 17
PUTRAJAYA: The Election Commission
announce
candidate soon
(EC) decided yesterday that nomination
for the Permatang Pasir by-election in KUALA LUMPUR: The Barisan Nasional (BN)
Penang will be held on Aug 17, followed will announce its candidate for the Permatang
by polling on Aug 25. Pasir state by-election in Penang soon.
It also decided to strictly enforce the “Now that we know the polling date, we
law by not allowing any form of campaign- will select the candidate. We will make the an-
ing or canvassing for votes on polling day, nouncement soon,” Prime Minister Datuk Seri
including the setting up of pondok panas Najib Abdul Razak, who is BN chairman, said
by political parties. yesterday.
Announcing this, EC chairman Tan Sri “Hopefully, our candidate will be accepted
Abdul Aziz Mohd Yusof said the decision by the constituents of Permatang Pasir,” he told
was made based on the bitter experience reporters after chairing the BN supreme council
in Manek Urai last month, when fights had meeting here.
erupted among party supporters. Najib said all the component parties pledged at
“According to the Elections Offences the meeting to strengthen cooperation as a team
Act 1954, there should not be any cam- in facing the by-election and discussed ways to
paigning activities on polling day, but we conduct their machinery in a coordinated man-
gave some flexibility in previous elections ner.
like in Penanti and Manek Urai. The supreme council also felt that the 1Ma-
“This was because the political parties laysia concept could reduce tension within the
involved gave their word that there would society, he said.
BERNAMAPIX

not be any untoward incidents,” he told a On the proposal for a BN congress, Najib said
press conference at the EC headquarters it would be held when the time is right, after all
yesterday. the component parties had completed their own
The Permatang Pasir state seat fell affairs.
vacant when its assemblyman Datuk To another question on the establishment of
Mohd Hamdan Abdul Rahman from PAS Abdul Aziz too many Indian-based political parties recently,
died on July 31. shows the Najib said it was based on requests by certain
Abdul Aziz said the required under time is not right to have all these things. map of parties.
police will help the EC the law. So, we want to resolve everything as the state “We have not approved that many but there
to enforce the law and “In order to soon as possible in the fasting month,” constituency are requests by certain quarters to form political
those found guilty may allow Muslims he said. N11 parties among the Indian community.
face up to one year’s to carry out Abdul Aziz said the electoral roll to Permatang “We hope, eventually, there will be rationali-
jail or RM5,000 fine, or their terawih be used for the by-election is the Master Pasir in sation of political parties among the Indian com-
both. prayers and Electoral Roll 2008 combined with the Penang in munity so that there will not be too many parties
He said he was 97% such, we have Supplementary Roll for the first quarter of Putrajaya representing the Indians,” he said.
confident that those set the time to 2009, which has been updated until July yesterday. Regarding the disagreement of Bukit Merta-
involved will adhere announce the 31. It will be sold beginning Aug 14. jam Umno with the proposed amendments to
to the law this time result. We will It has 20,290 registered voters includ- the Umno constitution, he said all divisions had
around as the election do it at 8pm ing one postal voter, and the breakdown a right to voice their opinions and amend the
will be held on the even without of voters is 72.36% Malay, 25.85% Chinese, proposed amendments but the final decision rests
fourth day of the fast- the presence 1.63% Indian and 0.16% others. with the Umno general assembly which would be
ing month. of the winner,” Seberang Prai Tengah district officer held at year end. – Bernama
“I hope political said Abdul Roslan Yahaya has been appointed as the
leaders will play their Aziz. returning officer, to be assisted by three
role to observe the law “We do officers.
and advise their sup-
porters accordingly,”
not want to
be late just
A total 423 EC personnel will be
involved in the by-election for which PAS’s choice
he said.
“Hopefully, they
will not go overboard
because we
have to wait
for unneces-
the EC estimates it has to spend about
RM550,000.
The nomination centre and main tal-
to be known
with their campaigns
and refrain from doing
sary things like
the presence
lying centre will be at Institut Kemahiran
Belia Negara in Bukit Mertajam. Eight
on Friday
anything negative.” of agents, schools will be used as polling centres
This is not the first candidates or with 39 streams. by Karen Arukesamy
newsdesk@thesundaily.com
time a by-election is being held during political leaders.” On precautionary measures against
Ramadan – previous cases were the Lu- Asked why the EC decided on an early Influenza A (H1N1) on polling day, Abdul
nas by-election in 2000 and Sabah state date for this by-election, he said the deci- Aziz said they will seek the advice of the KUALA LUMPUR: PAS will announce its can-
election in 1994. sion was made based on the fact that it state health director on what should be didate for the Permatang Pasir state by-election
In view of the fasting month, the EC has until Sept 29 (60 days after the seat done. on Friday.
has decided to announce the election fell vacant) to hold the election. “At the EC level, we have asked our of- “We are confident of retaining the seat and
results, once finalised, at 8pm sharp, “We will be in the fasting month soon, ficers who will be dealing with the public what we are more worried about is not winning
without waiting for matters which are not then we will have Hari Raya Puasa. The and voters to wear masks,” he said. the seat but Barisan Nasional’s money politics in
the community, like what happened in Manek
Urai,” said PAS vice president Datuk Mahfuz
Omar yesterday at a press conference at the
Keep UM’s Indian studies elevate its status as a prominent research
university.
party’s headquarters.
Asked if the candidate is someone who had
department, says Subra Currently, UiTM is ranked fifth among lost in the general election or someone new, he
PUTRAJAYA: Human Resources Minister research universities and the focus of said: “There are several potential leaders who
Datuk Dr S. Subramaniam said yesterday he UiTM now is to focus on innovative entre- can be a candidate. It does not matter whether
was confident that Universiti Malaya’s Indian preneur research. – Bernama it is someone new or have stood for election
Studies Department (ISD) will be preserved in before.
its original form and its name maintained. “What matters is that the candidate is some
The MIC secretary-general also said that Car thieves escape one acceptable and liked by the people because
the Indian community wanted an Indian to police ambush only then can he work with them and for
head the ISD after Assoc. Prof. Dr S. Kumaran PETALING JAYA: Despite police firing several them.”
was replaced by a non-Indian. warning shots, three car thieves escaped on foot He also said the Election Commission (EC)
The ISD was established in 1956, under the from the carpark of a hotel here yesterday. should choose a suitable date like weekends for
Faculty of Arts and Social Science and its main It is learnt that police laid an ambush at polling during by-elections, and not working
purpose was to conduct academic activities about 1pm following a tip-off from the owner days.
such as teaching, publication, research and The EC announced yesterday that the state
of a Toyota Hilux who found his vehicle, which
consultation services. by-election will be held on Aug 25 while the
was stolen last Friday, at the basement car-
“The status of Universiti Malaya’s Indian nomination will be on Aug 17.
park.
Studies Department has become a hot issue “Although the law allows an employee to be
now,” he said. – Bernama Police said at about 2pm, the three men
arriving in a car broke into a Toyota Altis excused to practise his or her right to vote, it does
belonging to a hotel guest and tried to drive not seem like all employers are adhering to the
UiTM signs MoU to market the car away. They were however blocked by law,” said Mahfuz.
its research products an unmarked police car and the detectives The Permatang Pasir seat fell vacant following
SHAH ALAM: Universiti Teknologi MARA ordered them to surrender. the death of incumbent Datuk Mohd Hamdan
(UiTM) yesterday signed a memorandum Instead of stopping, one of the men Abdul Rahman, 63, of PAS, from heart ailment at
of understanding (MoU) with three rammed his car into the police vehicle and the National Heart Institute on July 31.
companies to market products invented all three fled on foot. In the March 2008 general election, Mohd
through its research. Petaling Jaya police chief ACP Arjunaidi Hamdan, the Permatang Pasir assemblyman for
UiTM vice-chancellor Tan Sri Prof Dr Mohamed said police gave chase but lost the three terms since 1999, secured 11,004 votes to
Ibrahim Abu Shah said the move was to car thieves. defeat BN’s candidate Ahmad Sahar Shuib by a
5,433 vote-majority.