Straight fights in Kerdau, Merlimau

February 26, 2011

The BN contingent, led by Muhyiddin (front, centre), makes its way towards the Merlimau nomination centre, February 26, 2011. Picture by Choo Choy May KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 26 The Kerdau and Merlimau by-election campaigns kicked off today with Barisan Nasional (BN) looking set to retain both state seats against PAS candidates in straight fights.Both are the first polls in their respective states since Election 2008 and Umno will look to replace their late incumbents with increased majorities.Returning officer Tariff Abdul Rahman announced at 10am that Umnos Syed Ibrahim Syed Ahmad and PAS man Hassanuddin Salim were the only two candidates to file nomination papers in Kerdau, Pahang.The Election Commission (EC) will now wait until 11.00am to see if there are any objections against the Kuala Krau Umno deputy division chief and Pahang PAS information chief.

Syed Ibrahim (right) and Hassanuddin shake hands at the Kerdau nomination centre, February 26, 2011. Picture by Choo Choy MaySimilarly in Melaka, objections must be filed by 11am after returning officer Roslan Eusoff announced that nominations for PASs Yuhaizat Abdullah and Umnos Roslan Ahmad in the Merlimau polls were filed at 9.05am and 9.07am respectively.Both constituencies will go to the polls on March 6.BN will be looking to improve on its 2004 majority in Kerdau, which was almost halved in 2008 when Hassanuddin went up against the late Datuk Zaharuddin Abu Kassim, whose death from a heart attack on January 12 triggered the by-election.The late Zaharuddin won the Kerdau state seat in the last general election after he defeated Hassanuddin by a majority of 1,615. In 2004, Umnos Datuk Redzwan Harun won with 4,436 versus PAS candidate Dr Abu Bakar Mohameds 1,871.But PAS is confident that it can capitalise on long-standing gr! ouses of youths in the three Felda settlements that make up nearly half the voters in this constituency.The Kerdau state seat is one of three in the parliamentary constituency of Kuala Krau, along with Jenderak and Jengka. Kuala Krau, Jenderak and Jengka are also BN seats.There are 8,999 registered voters and 15 postal voters here, 89 per cent of whom are Malay, 5 per cent Chinese, 3.3 per cent Indian and 2.8 per cent others.

Yuhaizat (left) and Roslan pose for photographers after filing their candidacies for the Merlimau by-election, February 26, 2011. Picture by Jack OoiThis morning, thousands of rival supporters turned up to support their respective candidates amid strong police presence. Both groups faced each other across a 40m divide behind razor wire barricades and taunted each other for most of the morning.Top leaders from both coalitions led processions to the Tun Razak Hall here in Temerloh where the nomination centre has been set up.The by-elections in Merlimau by-election will also see BN expecting a victory over Pakatan Rakyat (PR) despite reported plans of a boycott by Umno leaders who were sidelined for the candidacy.The Malaysian Insider reported that BN had shortlisted seven candidates, including former Jasin MP Mohd Said Yusof and its Wanita chief Zaleha Bujang.However, the candidacy of committee member, Roslan Ahmad, was said to have irked local supporters as they believe that he was unpopular compared to other leaders shortlisted.Roslans late father, Datuk Ahmad Ithin, was the former assemblyman for Sungai Rambai which was later delineated into the Merlimau seat.PAS leaders are also said to fancy their chances in Kerdau rather than in Merlimau.The Malaysian Insider reported that a significant number of senior leaders in the Islamist party had lobbied the top leadership not to field a candidate in the BN stronghold.However, PAS then decided to contest after PKR Youth chief Shamsul Iskandar Ak! in annou nced his interest in the seat.The problem is PKR and the Youth chief Shamsul Iskandar Akin are interested. There will be more damage internally if we let PKR contest, said a party insider, citing the Election 2008 seat negotiation agreement when Shamsul abandoned the Jasin parliamentary seat after he was given clearance by the Terengganu PAS leadership to contest in Dungun.

Yuhaizat (third left) and Pakatan Rakyat leaders raise their hands ahead of the Merlimau nominations, February 26, 2011. Picture by Jack OoiIt is understood that PAS vice-president Datuk Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man, who had been appointed the Merlimau by-election director, had backed the proposal to stand down.Tuan Ibrahim was recently replaced by Pengkalan Chepa MP Datuk Abdul Halim Abdul Rahman to be appointed as PAS Kerdau election chief.Abdul Halim told The Malaysian Insider today that the party did not expect to win the by-election.We do not place any high expectations of winning but with the PAS machinery, maybe we can win, he said.He also admitted that a win in Merlimau would not alter the existing equation but stressed the importance of having a PAS lawmaker in the state assembly.Merlimau will not change anything. The state government will not change. The chief minister and state excos will continue to be the same if PAS wins.But what is important for us is for a representative in the state assembly that will uphold Islam, he added.PAS president Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang was also absent from the nomination centre there, choosing instead to be in Kerdau.PAS will again be banking on Chinese voters to help close the voting margins as the community makes up more than 20 per cent of Merlimaus electorate.

A BN supporter shouts outside the Kerdau nomination centre, February 26, 2011. Picture by Choo Choy MayThe seats electoral roll has! 10, 679 votes, with 6,935 Malay voters, 2,218 Chinese voters and 1,510 Indians voters.Pengkalan Samak and Merlimau Pasir will be highly contested as both districts constitute more than 1,000 Chinese votes.Pengkalan Samak is also the biggest district and holds the town centre.The late Datuk Mohamad Hidhir Abu Hasson retained the Merlimau state seat in the last general election after he defeated PASs Jasme Tompang by a majority of 2,154 votes. In Election 2004, he won the seat by 5,087 votes.The Merlimau by-election was called following the death of Mohamad Hidhir on January 20.Merlimau is located within the Jasin parliamentary constituency, a stronghold of BN, which won all the five state seats in Election 2008.BN currently controls 23 of the state assembly seats, while DAP is the only opposition with five.