PASIR PUTEH, 20 May 2009: The Kelantan PPP wants Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak to reconsider the Barisan Nasional’s (BN) decision not to field a candidate in the Penanti by-election in Penang.
Its chief Datuk Nik Sapeia Nik Yusoff said it was the BN’s responsibility to contest against any opposition candidate in the area in line with the principles of caring for the people’s well-being.
“I feel that it is not appropriate for us to give an easy victory for the opposition. The government’s role is to ensure the people’s interests are taken care of,” he told Bernama.
Najib announced on 18 May that the BN would not field a candidate in the by-election as it did not want “to dance to the opposition’s tune.”
“I am appealing to the prime minister to field a candidate… if we don’t contest, it is as though we don’t want to fight for the people there,” he said.
The nomination is on 23 May while polling is on 31 May.
The seat fell vacant following the resignation of incumbent assemblyperson Mohammad Fairus Khairuddin of Parti Keadilan Rakyat. — Bernama
