Anwar picks Mansor Othman for Penanti by-election
By Wong Choon Mei
Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim has named Mansor Othman, the Penang Parti Keadilan Rakyat deputy chief, as the Pakatan Rakyat candidate in the Penanti by-election due to be polled on May 31.
“Even though it is in Permatang Pauh, our stronghold, we shall not be complacent, arrogant and take things for granted. We must work harder to achieve a big win,” Anwar told a crowd of thousands at the Yayasan Aman in Penanti late on Tuesday night.
He also said Mansor would be selected as the PKR nominee for the Penang deputy chief minister (I) post if he won the state seat.
Mansor was formerly Anwar’s political secretary and has worked as a lecturer with Universiti Sains Malaysia.
News reports have tagged the 56-year old as the favourite to be picked as the coalition’s candidate after PKR president Wan Azizah Wan Ismail withdrew his nomination for a senatorship in the Penang state assembly at the eleventh hour.
“No reason was given in the letter but I know why,” Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng had said with a smile at a press conference held earlier in the day.
Both Penanti and the DCM post fell vacant when another PKR leader, Fairus Khairuddin, resigned amid a cloud of corruption allegations. The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission has cleared Fairus of any wrongdoing, but he is adamant to stick to his decision to quit.
As Najib ponders on whether to contest, the EC gets busy changing the rules
Located on the mainland, Penanti boasts a picturesque expanse of padi fields, with rubber and palm oil plantations dotting the constituency. It is made up of little villages with a smattering of commercial activities. Most of the residents are industrial workers and small businessmen.
In the 2008 general election, first-timer Fairus had thumped his Umno rival with a majority of 2,219 votes. He obtained 7,346 votes versus Abdul Jalil Abdul Majid’s 5,127. 73 percent or 11,296 voters are Malay, 24 percent or 3,732 are Chinese, and 2 percent or 371 are Indian.
Mansor, who had contested for the Pulau Betong seat, lost by 294 votes to Umno’s Muhammad Farid Saad.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Najib Razak is still undecided if Umno should take part in the Penanti contest. Nevertheless, despite wishing to avoid further electoral losses - having been beaten in four out of the past five by-elections - Najib is expected to field a candidate all the same.
To not do so would further invite criticism of cowardice - not so much from Pakatan, which has more to benefit if Najib abstained - but from within his party’s own rank and file.
Najib’s mentor, ex-premier Mahathir Mohamad, has urged greater fighting spirit and his son Mukhriz, the Jerlun MP and deputy international trade minister, today followed up with another call to the PM not to forsake the Penanti election.
“I believe it is good that we contest because we have plenty of supporters in Penanti and we do not want to disappoint them. Even though there are rumors that we are bound to lose but we take advantage as an underdogs and ask the voters in Penanti to vote for us,” Mukhriz said.
But despite Mukhriz taking the high moral ground, Pakatan leaders have already lashed out at the Election Commission for suddenly changing election rules to favour the Umno-BN.
On Monday, the EC banned the pondok panas or makeshift operation centres set up by political parties outside polling stations to help out voters.
“The ban is not consistent with the law and more shockingly, it is against their earlier stand,” said PKR vice president Sivarasa Rasiah.
Sumber : Suara Keadilan
By Wong Choon Mei
Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim has named Mansor Othman, the Penang Parti Keadilan Rakyat deputy chief, as the Pakatan Rakyat candidate in the Penanti by-election due to be polled on May 31.
“Even though it is in Permatang Pauh, our stronghold, we shall not be complacent, arrogant and take things for granted. We must work harder to achieve a big win,” Anwar told a crowd of thousands at the Yayasan Aman in Penanti late on Tuesday night.
He also said Mansor would be selected as the PKR nominee for the Penang deputy chief minister (I) post if he won the state seat.
Mansor was formerly Anwar’s political secretary and has worked as a lecturer with Universiti Sains Malaysia.
News reports have tagged the 56-year old as the favourite to be picked as the coalition’s candidate after PKR president Wan Azizah Wan Ismail withdrew his nomination for a senatorship in the Penang state assembly at the eleventh hour.
“No reason was given in the letter but I know why,” Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng had said with a smile at a press conference held earlier in the day.
Both Penanti and the DCM post fell vacant when another PKR leader, Fairus Khairuddin, resigned amid a cloud of corruption allegations. The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission has cleared Fairus of any wrongdoing, but he is adamant to stick to his decision to quit.
As Najib ponders on whether to contest, the EC gets busy changing the rules
Located on the mainland, Penanti boasts a picturesque expanse of padi fields, with rubber and palm oil plantations dotting the constituency. It is made up of little villages with a smattering of commercial activities. Most of the residents are industrial workers and small businessmen.
In the 2008 general election, first-timer Fairus had thumped his Umno rival with a majority of 2,219 votes. He obtained 7,346 votes versus Abdul Jalil Abdul Majid’s 5,127. 73 percent or 11,296 voters are Malay, 24 percent or 3,732 are Chinese, and 2 percent or 371 are Indian.
Mansor, who had contested for the Pulau Betong seat, lost by 294 votes to Umno’s Muhammad Farid Saad.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Najib Razak is still undecided if Umno should take part in the Penanti contest. Nevertheless, despite wishing to avoid further electoral losses - having been beaten in four out of the past five by-elections - Najib is expected to field a candidate all the same.
To not do so would further invite criticism of cowardice - not so much from Pakatan, which has more to benefit if Najib abstained - but from within his party’s own rank and file.
Najib’s mentor, ex-premier Mahathir Mohamad, has urged greater fighting spirit and his son Mukhriz, the Jerlun MP and deputy international trade minister, today followed up with another call to the PM not to forsake the Penanti election.
“I believe it is good that we contest because we have plenty of supporters in Penanti and we do not want to disappoint them. Even though there are rumors that we are bound to lose but we take advantage as an underdogs and ask the voters in Penanti to vote for us,” Mukhriz said.
But despite Mukhriz taking the high moral ground, Pakatan leaders have already lashed out at the Election Commission for suddenly changing election rules to favour the Umno-BN.
On Monday, the EC banned the pondok panas or makeshift operation centres set up by political parties outside polling stations to help out voters.
“The ban is not consistent with the law and more shockingly, it is against their earlier stand,” said PKR vice president Sivarasa Rasiah.
Sumber : Suara Keadilan
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