PKR's Ansari,Edmund's widow,Teck Lee in thrilling Batu Sapi fight

Sunday, October 24, 2010
PKR's Ansari,Edmund's widow,Teck Lee in thrilling Batu Sapi fight
Malaysia Chronicle

SANDAKAN - Pakatan Rakyat has named lawyer Ansari Abdullah as its candidate for the Batu Sapi by-election, while BN's PBS raised eyebrows by naming the widow of the late Edmund Chong as its candidate.

Former Sabah chief minister Yong Teck Lee of SAPP has already declared his intention to join the contest.

Sunday's announcements complete the three key figures battling for the seat left vacant by Edmund, who was killed in a bike accident earlier this month. It also sets the stage for a thrilling fight in what had initially been believed would be a predictable walkover for the PBS.


Ansari
Several independent candidates are expected to throw their hats into the ring as the Election Commission has revealed more than 20 sets of nomination papers have been sold.

How they stack up

Ansari, a prominent lawyer, is also the Tuaran PKR division chief. Party insiders say he is a well-liked figure and regarded as being one of the fast-rising leaders in the 'new-breed' reforms-oriented movement within Sabah PKR.

As for 54-year old Linda Tsen, she is also no stranger to politics, being a vice-president and executive council member of the PBS Wanita's central leadership.


Linda

However, political watchers say it may be too soon to hail her agreement to contest her late husband's seat as a BN coup. Although she may garner a lot of sympathy votes, it may not be enough to win in Sabah's extremely competitive political arena, they warned.

Working against her will be the flamboyant and well-seasoned Yong Teck Lee, who can be expected to mount a strong challenge for the Chinese votes.

PKR people believe this will boost Ansari's chances as he will not only be able to tap into the Muslim electorate, but can also count on the Pakatan's multiracial reach for support from the non-Muslims.


Yong Teck Lee

The Batu Sapi electorate is made up of 59 percent or 15,099 Muslim bumiputra, 38 percent or 9,737 Chinese, 2.69 percent or 689 non-Muslim bumiputra and 0.22 percent or 57 others.

The late Edmund was a two-term MP for Batu Sapi.

Nomination day is on Tuesday, Oct 26, while balloting is on Nov 4.

Concurrently, another by-election will be taking place in Galas, Kelantan, where the main contest will centre around PAS' Dr Zulkefli Mohamad and Umno's Abdul Aziz Yusof.

Dua calon dekat di hati rakyat bertarung di Galas

Pilihan raya kecil DUN Galas menyaksikan pertarungan dua calon yang dekat di hati rakyat serta berpengalaman memberikan khidmat kepada masyarakat di Gua Musang.


BN memilih Abdul Aziz Yusoff, 49, iaitu pengurus Pejabat Operasi Lembaga Kemajuan Kelantan Selatan (Kesedar), sebuah agensi pusat
bertanggungjawab memacu pembangunan Hulu Kelantan, yang dirintis ketua Umno Gua Musang Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah ketika menjadi menteri kewangan.

Anak kelahiran Kampung Bertam Baru, dekat Paloh, mula mencurahkan bakti kepada masyarakat setempat selepas menyertai Kesedar sejak 1983, dengan hanya berbekalkan kelulusan Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia.

Ini merupakan kali pertama beliau dipilih bertanding di kawasan DUN, sekaligus menjadikan Abdul Aziz sebagai muka baru yang diberi mandat oleh kepimpinan Umno.

Bagaimanapun, Abdul Aziz yang juga Setiausaha Umno bahagian Gua Musang, perlu melepaskan jawatannya dalam Kesedar untuk bertanding pada pilihan raya kecil itu.

PAS pula meletakkan pengamal perubatan Dr Zulkefli Mohamad, 44, yang juga pemangku yang dipertua parti itu di Gua Musang, sebagai calon untuk bertanding dalam pilihan raya kecil 4 November itu.


Lulusan Universiti Malaya itu berkhidmat kepada masyarakat melalui kliniknya di Ciku 3, iaitu kira-kira 50 kilometer dari bandar Gua Musang.

Dr Zulkefli merupakan anak bekas Anggota Dewan Undangan Negeri Guchil pada 1974, iaitu Mohamed Awang.

Berbeza dengan calon BN, beliau adalah muka lama yang berpengalaman dan pernah bertanding di Parlimen Gua Musang sebanyak dua kali, iaitu dalam pilihan raya umum 2004 dan 2008, namun tewas di tangan Tengku Razaleigh.

Biarpun pernah tewas, kepimpinan PAS ternyata mempunyai keyakinan kukuh terhadap calonnya itu kerana Dr Dzulkefli pernah mengalahkan Ketua Umno Gua Musang di DUN Galas pada 2008 dengan kelebihan 317 undi.

Pilihan raya kecil DUN Galas diadakan berikutan kematian penyandangnya Che Hashim Che Sulaima, 46, dari PAS, yang meninggal dunia akibat kanser usus pada 27 September lalu.

- Bernama

MAFREL SEBAGAI SUARA KETIGA

Pengerusi MAFREL, Syed Ibrahim Syed Noh menegaskan bahawa kehadiran dan peranan MAFREL dalam mana-mana pilihan raya umum atau kecil adalah penting sebagai suara ketiga yang mewakili rakyat. Beliau berkata demikian kepada pemberita laman blog Warga Marhaen baru-baru ini.

Baca seterusnya:

http://wargamarhaen.blogspot.com/2010/10/mafrel-pantau-selaku-suara-ketiga.html

ATTENTION ALL MAFREL MEMBERS!!!

Anybody interested to do election observation in Sandakan (especially those from Sabah) are cordially invited to register. Contact me at 019 234 4366.

Shaharudin Bin Othman

Batu Sapi by-election

MAFREL Management Committee will meet this Wednesday 20th October, 2010 at 8.30 p.m. at the Secretary's residence in Shah Alam to discuss the Batu Sapi By-election. Members of the Management Committee and other volunteers are invited to be present. Col. Shaharuddin will also brief the meeting about his recce trip to Gua Musang last Saturday.

For more details please contact the Secretary.

N45 Galas by-election

MAFREL is looking for volunteers to be the observers during the Galas and Batu Sapi by-election on 4th November, 2010. Those interested to be observers please contact the Secretary at arphanahmad@gmail.com or 012 2731016.


Arphan Ahmad
Secretry, MAFREL