PORT DICKSON: The Teluk Kemang Umno division helmed by former Mentri Besar Tan Sri Isa Samad will draw up a shortlist of candidates for the Bagan Pinang state seat which fell vacant following the death of Azman Mohammad Noor.
Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan expressed hope that the shortlisted candidates would be accepted by members so that there would be no danger of sabotage.
He was speaking after giving away cash aid to poor families near here.
Isa was Mentri Besar from 1982 to 2004. Azman, a first term assemblyman, died at the Seremban Specialist Centre on Friday afternoon due to a blood disorder.
The Teluk Kemang Umno vice-head had defeated PAS’ Ramli Ismail by a 2,333-majority in the last general election polling 6,430 votes.
The Teluk Kemang parliamentary constituency has five state seats — Port Dickson, Lukut, Chuah, Bagan Pinang and Linggi. All except Bagan Pinang and Linggi are held by the Opposition.
It is an open secret that Umno lost at least two seats in 2008 due to sabotage as many were unhappy with the candidates picked for the Ampangan, Sikamat and Paroi state seats.
In Ipoh, PAS confirmed that it would contest in the by-election but has called on the Election Commission to change how postal votes are cast to ensure transparency.
“Our early view of the situation in Bagan Pinang is that although we will contest, there are at least over 5,000 postal voters in the constituency. This is very high.
“We still doubt the legitimacy of postal votes because we know that they, especially the police and the army, are not given the freedom to vote for whom they truly support,” PAS president Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang told a press conference after attending evening prayers with state PAS leaders at the Surau Al-Ikhlasiah in Manjoi here yesterday.
Abdul Hadi added that the margin in 2008 would have probably been smaller had it not been for the postal votes.
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