BUKIT MERTAJAM, 14 Aug 2009: The Barisan Nasional (BN) today named Permatang Pauh Umno division secretary Rohaizat Othman, 38, as the candidate for the Permatang Pasir state by-election on 25 Aug.
Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin made the announcement at the BN operations centre in Bukit Merah, Jalan Permatang Pauh, here.
Muhyiddin, who is Umno deputy president, said Rohaizat was the most suitable candidate for the BN based on his academic and professional background as well as leadership qualities.
He said prime minister and Umno president Datuk Seri Najib Razak, who is now abroad, had agreed to Rohaizat’s candidacy.
“After assessing the situation in Permatang Pasir and taking into consideration the views of local leaders as well as evaluation of his relations with the people, we name him as the candidate,” he said to the applause of about 1,000 BN supporters.
A syarie legal adviser, Rohaizat has been the Mengkuang Titi branch Umno Youth chief since 1996, and was a Permatang Pauh Umno committee member between 2002 and 2008. He studied in Sekolah Agama Al-Mashoor in Penang before pursuing law at the International Islamic University Malaysia.
The Permatang Pasir seat fell vacant following the death of Datuk Mohd Hamdan Abdul Rahman from PAS on 31 July due to a heart attack.
Mohd Hamdan had been the Permatang Pasir assemblyperson for three terms from 1999. In the 12th general election last year, he polled 11,004 votes to defeat the BN’s Ahmad Sahar Shuib with a 5,433-vote majority.
Nomination day is on Monday. The seat has 20,290 voters, including a lone postal voter. — Bernama
