IPOH, 23 March 2009: Seven people have bought nomination forms for the Bukit Gantang by-election, polling of which will be held on 7 April.
Revealing this here today, Election Commission (EC) chairperson Tan Sri Abdul Aziz Mohd Yusof, however, said none of them had yet to pay the RM10,000 deposit required to contest the parliamentary seat.
“There is no limit to the number of people who can contest. Each candidate will be given equal treatment by the EC,” he told reporters after receiving a briefing on the Police’s preparations for the by-election, here today.
As for the Bukit Selambau by-election in Kedah which will also be held the same day, Abdul Aziz said 11 people had stated their intention to contest the state seat and that so far, eight had paid the required deposit of RM5,000.
He added that he was satisfied with the police’s security arrangements for the Bukit Gantang by-election but expressed dissatisfaction that campaign posters and flags had already been strung up in the constituency despite the nomination day set for 29 March.
He urged the local authorities to act on the matter as it was illegal to do this before nomination day.
The Barisan Nasional (BN) has named Bukit Gantang Umno information chief Ismail Saffian, 49, as its candidate for Bukit Gantang while PAS is expected to announce its candidate tonight.
Abdul Aziz predicted a 80% voter turnout on polling day for the Bukit Gantang Gantang by-election. The constituency has an electorate of 55,562.
The by-election is necessitated by the death of its Member of Parliament Roslan Shahrom of PAS on 9 Feb.
In the general election held in March last year, Roslan defeated the BN’s Datuk Seri Abdul Azim Zabidi Roslan by a majority of 1,566 votes while an independent candidate, M Mogan, secured only 882 votes and lost his deposit. — Bernama
