Minor scuffles mar otherwise smooth polling

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PERMATANG PAUH: After days of rain, clear skies greeted the people here yesterday, resulting in a large turnout of voters for the Permatang Pasir state by-election.

By noon, some 10,812 voters or 53.3 per cent, of the 20,289 voters had come out to cast their votes. The turnout had increased to 73 per cent when polling closed at 5pm.

The voting proceeded smoothly under heavy police presence, although there were reportedly incidents of heated exchanges between Barisan Nasional and Pas supporters outside several polling stations.

Two BN supporters, Mohd Yusri Rosli, 19, and Afzal Nasir Ibrahim, 37, were sent to Seberang Jaya Hospital near here after they were hit by stones hurled at them following a squabble with supporters at Bukit Indera Muda here.

They sustained injuries on their head and hands, and received outpatient treatment.

There were also minor scuffles between BN and Pas supporters at Kubang Semang, Pekan Permatang Pauh, Sama Gagah, Bukit Jelutong and Kampung Pelet.

At SJK (C) Lay Keow in Pekan Permatang Pauh, the voting process became tensed when BN's Rohaizat Othman and Pas' Mohd Salleh Man appeared minutes apart from each another to tour the polling station and greet their supporters.

The supporters had to be calmed down by police, who were busy keeping them off the road to avoid the two sides from clashing, and to make way for passing cars.

Salleh was seen early at the SMK Penanti polling station accompanying Parti Keadilan Rakyat de facto leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim and his wife PKR president Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail, to cast their votes.

Permatang Pasir is within Anwar's political fortress of the Permatang Pauh parliamentary constituency.

Salleh and Rohaizat are both not voters in the state seat.

Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin also toured several of the polling stations.

Election Commission chairman Tan Sri Abdul Aziz Mohd Yusof said he was happy with the smooth voting process.

He said unlike previous general elections and by-elections, the situation this time was much better as there were few cars and motorcycles carrying party flags and posters on polling day.

State police chief Datuk Ayub Yaakob said the situation was under control throughout the polling process.

The Permatang Pasir state by-election was called following the death of Pas' Datuk Mohd Hamdan Abdul Rahman last month.