A four-cornered fight in Penanti

12noon Confirmed! It will be a four-cornered fight for the Penanti state seat by-election on May 31 following the disqualification of independent candidate Mohd Saberi Othman.

The contest will see favourite PKR's Mansor Othman (in blue baju melayu) taking on three independents.

The independents are former Penang PKR women chief Aminah Abdullah, former local Gerakan leader Nai Khan Ari and Kamarul Ramizu Idris, who contested in Bukit Gantang as an independent.

The candidates can start campaigning now until May 30 midnight.

Symbols allocated for the independent candidates are key for Aminah, wau (kite) for Nai Khan and umbrella for Kamarul. Mansor will be using the PKR logo.

11.56am: Returning Officer Roslan Yahaya confirms that independent candidate Mohd Saberi Othman is disqualified. When approached, Mohd Saberi said he was disquaified over a "technical error".

11.35am: Word is that one of the independents have been disqualified. Nothing official yet.

11am: Objection period ends. Returning Officer Roslan Yahaya will be making an official announcement on the candidates soon.

10.30am: Local businessman Zainon Mohammad, 52, has filed a protest against independent Kamarul Ramizu Idris for having a non-local as witness.

Kamarul's witness Ismail Yahaya's address in the nomination forms is stated as being in Parit, Perak.

Zainon said that was a breach of electoral laws.

10am: Nomination period ends. Now starts an hour-long objection period. Unless there is a disqualification, the Penanti by-election on May 31 will see a five-cornered fight involving PKR and four independent candidates. The contest will not see the BN taking part.

9.50am: Pakatan Rakyat leader Mohammad Nizar Jamaluddin, who is in a tight fight with BN's Zambry Abd Kadir on the legitimate Perak menteri besar issue, is mobbed by some 3,000 Pakatan supporters outside the nomination centre.

The crowd shouted ‘bubar Perak' (dissolve Perak assembly) when they saw him.

He told reporters that he was waiting for the Court of Appeal's written judgment before filing his appeal to the Federal Court.

The appellate court yesterday had ruled that Zambry was the rightful MB.

9.40am: Penang CM Lim Guan Eng says the peaceful situation during the nomination process reflected the people's maturity in practising democracy.

"And this is a good indicator to continue asking for fresh state elections in Perak," he said.

9.35am: Things have gone quiet inside the National Youth Skills Centre nomination centre in Bukit Mertajam. No other surprise candidates are expected to file further nominations.

Nomination period ends at 10am.

Outside the Pakatan crowd has outsized everyone else, including the police.

Eyewitnesses are claiming that the situation and atmosphere seemed strange without the usual BN entourage at this by-election.

9.23am: Penang Chief Minister and DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng and DAP veteran leader Lim Kit Siang arrive at the nomination centre to show support for Mansor.

9.18am: Kamarul Ramizu Idris, who contested in Bukit Gantang as an independent on April 7, submits his nomination papers to contest in Penanti, making it a possible five-cornered fight.

Dressed in his trademark black, he said he was contesting to bring "peace and a fresh political culture".

He lost his deposit in Bukit Gantang.

9.17am: Former Gerakan leader Nai Khan Ari files his application to contest as an independent candidate.

9.15am: A surprise candidate is also in the nomination centre - Kamarul Ramizu Idris who contested in Bukit Gantang as an independent is waiting to submit his nomination to contest for Penanti as well. He will be the fifth candidate.

9.14am: Mohd Saberi files his nomination forms to contest as an independent.

9.02am: Independent candidate Aminah Abdullah was the first to submit her nomination papers sharp at 9am.

She was followed by PKR's Mansor (left) at 9.10am.

9am: Nomination period starts. Independent candidate Mohd Saberi Othman arrives at the nomination centre with his supporters.

As he walked in, several Pakatan supporters shouted at him "nampak macam Umno" (You look like Umno). Mohd Saberi is an ex-army man and a local boy. He used to be an aide to former premier Abdullah Ahmad Badawi but had denied being an Umno member.

8.50am: PKR candidate Mansor arrives at the nomination centre. He is accompanied by PKR/Pakatan Rakyat leader Anwar Ibrahim and other leaders like PKR vice-president Azmin Ali, Selangor Menteri Besar Khalid Ibrahim and PAS leader Hatta Ramli. [see video]

Earlier report

The voters in Penanti will know today the identity of the candidates who will be contesting for the state seat by-election on May 31.

Nomination process is set to start at 9am at the National Youth Skills Centre in Bukit Mertajam.

Four candidates have expressed their interest and pending any last minute hitches, objections or surprises, the contest will be a four-cornered fight with PKR being the favourite to retain this seat.

The four are PKR's Mansor Othman and three independents - former Penang PKR women chief Aminah Abdullah, businessman Mohd Saberi Othman, believed to be an ex-aide of former premier Abdullah Ahmad Badawi and former local Gerakan leader Nai Khan Ari.

The biggest surprise so far in the run-up to the Penanti by-election is perhaps the decision by Barisan Nasional to stay out of this race.

BN's biggest party Umno has traditionally contested this seat. And before the inroads made by PKR in the 2008 general election, this seat had been an Umno stronghold.

The Penanti seat falls under the Permatang Pauh parliamentary seat, which is the stronghold of PKR and Pakatan Rakyat leader Anwar Ibrahim.

Strong PKR supporters

This morning, Pakatan Rakyat supporters started gathering just outside the nomination centre from 7.30am. By 7.50am, Mansor, wearing a blue traditional Baju Melayu, had arrived to join some 300 supporters.

Also present were Anwar, Selangor Menteri Besar Khalid Ibrahim and other leaders.

By 8.30am, the Pakatan crowd has swelled to about 1,000. Many carried the flags of PKR and PAS. They also shouted ‘reformas' and ‘hidup rakyat' while singing the national anthem.

Also arriving at about 7.30am was Aminah (centre in photo), who was accompanied by about 10 family members.

"I am contesting to fight for the truth," she told reporters, adding that she had left PKR as the party had "lost its direction".

They were later joined by another independent Nai (photo below), who arrived at the centre at 8.15am.

The police have closed several roads near the nomination centre since 6am to manage traffic. The roads will remain closed until 1pm.

The roads affected are Jalan Berapit in front of the Berapit Chinese cemetery and the Jalan Berapit-Jalan Mengkuang junction.

The seat fell vacant following the resignation of former deputy chief minister 1 (DCM 1) Mohammad Fairus Khairuddin as its state representative on April 16.

Malaysiakini
23/05/09