Updated 2.35pm on 3 June 2009 PENANG, 3 June 2009: Newly-elected Penanti state assemblyperson Mansor Othman was sworn in today as Penang deputy chief minister I before the Yang Dipertua Negeri Tun Abdul Rahman Abbas at his Seri Mutiara official residence. Mansor, 59, was handed his letter of appointment and proceeded to take the oath […]
Penanti
Short-sighted politics
By Wong Chin HuatThe road ahead is long and winding – but who will lead the way? (Background image by Monica Arellano-Ongpin @ Flickr; stop sign images by Mateusz Stachowski /sxc.hu; Najib image public domain, source: Wikimedia commons) SO another by-election is over — the sixth since 2008. Garnering 85% of the total votes cast, Parti Keadilan Rakyat […]
Spinning the Penanti victory
By Shanon ShahON paper, the 5,558-vote winning majority of Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR)’s Dr Mansor Othman during the recently concluded Penanti by-election looks stunning. Indeed, it is more than a two-fold increase of the 2,219-vote majority polled by Mansor’s predecessor, Mohammad Fairus Khairuddin, during the March 2008 general election. In fact, at 6,052 votes, Mansor polled 85% […]
Ex-PKR leaders attack
By Shanon Shah“They said if I win the contest, I could rejoin the party and I would be given the Deputy Chief Minister 1 post.” INDEPENDENT candidate Aminah Abdullah, on part of the alleged bribe offered to her on 13 May 2009 by Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) supreme council member Cheah Kah Peng and Lim Eng Nam, […]
Najib: Penanti not yardstick on popularity
JEJU ISLAND (South Korea), 1 June 2009: Datuk Seri Najib Razak said Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR)’s victory in the Penanti by-election yesterday is not a yardstick to gauge the popularity of any political party. The prime minister said PKR’s victory was also not an impressive win because voter turnout dropped to less than 50%, and […]
“Increased police presence at elections wasteful”
By Deborah LohPETALING JAYA: 1 June 2009: Increased police presence during the by-elections since the March 2008 general election is both unnecessary and wasteful, the National Institute for Electoral Integrity (NIEI) said. NIEI executive director Amin Iskandar said the trend of deploying large numbers of police officers to a by-election only appeared to begin after the general […]
Mansor triumphs in Penanti
By Shanon ShahFrom l-r: Mat Sabu, Mansor Othman, Guan Eng and Anwar Ibrahim BUKIT MERTAJAM, 31 May 2009: As expected, Pakatan Rakyat (PR) has notched yet another by-election victory, when Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR)’s Dr Mansor Othman scored a thumping win here in Penanti. Additionally, Mansor will be made the new Penang deputy chief minister (DCM) 1 […]
Penanti poll results (Updated 9.26pm)
By Shanon ShahUpdated 9.26pm, 31 May 2009Corrected on 31 May 2009 at 9.10pm Anwar, Mansor and Guan Eng 8.37pm Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng confirms that PKR’s Dr Mansor Othman, who won the Penanti by-election today, will be sworn in as deputy chief minister I on 3 June 2009. 8.25pm The Election Commission officially announces PKR’s […]
Voting ends in Penanti (Updated 5.28pm)
By Shanon ShahNai Khan Ari casts his vote Updated on 31 May 2009 at 5.28pm BUKIT MERTAJAM, 31 May 2009: Polling for the Penanti state by-election, which began at 8am today, ended at 5pm. According to sources, the voter turnout was low. Mohd RahimAt the Dewan Orang Ramai dan Tabika Kampung Tun Sardon, the first voter was […]
A by-election skimpy on issues
By Shanon ShahIT has been nearly a week of campaigning here in Penanti, and the by-election still seems skimpy on issues. True, all the candidates have revealed their “manifestos”, but none of them seem to be too specific. Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) candidate Dr Mansor Othman has been the most strategic in releasing his manifesto, charter and […]