PUTRAJAYA: The Election Commission has set Aug 16 for nomination and Aug 26 for polling for the Permatang Pauh by-election.
The seat fell vacant on July 31 when PKR president Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail resigned her parliamentary seat to make way for her husband Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.
Departing from the usual method of holding a press conference to announce the election and nomination dates, EC chairman Tan Sri Abdul Rashid Abdul Rahman issued a statement to the media.
The statement read that the commission was informed of the resignation by the Dewan Rakyat Speaker on Aug 1.
Abdul Rashid said the commission was fully prepared for the by-election, which comes five months after the March 8 general election.
The EC named Seberang Perai Tengah district officer Roslan Yahaya as returning officer.
“The nomination day will be Aug 16 and polling will take place on Aug 26 if there is to be a contest,” Rashid said in the statement.
“It is extremely important for all parties to adhere to the orders and advice of security personnel responsible for maintaining peace and order during the by-election period.
“Members of political parties, candidates, party workers and other individuals involved must ensure that they respect and adhere to election laws and campaign ethics.
“All parties are also reminded that there are several petition cases from the previous election which are still ongoing. Hence, candidates are reminded not to touch on issues involving these cases when campaigning.”
As of July 31, 58,459 voters, 490 of them postal, were registered as eligible to cast their ballot in the Permatang Pauh by-election.
In the March 8 general election, Wan Azizah retained the seat by obtaining 30,338 voters against Datuk Pirdauh Ismail of Umno, who garnered 16,950 votes.
The Permatang Pauh parliamentary constituency comprises three state seats – Seberang Jaya, Permatang Pasir and Penanti. Umno won the Seberang Jaya, PAS retained the Permatang Pasir seat while PKR clinched the Penanti seat.
Except for Seberang Jaya, which is a cosmopolitan centre, the rest of it is made up of villages and farmland, mainly padi fields. Malays make up 68.5% of the voter racial composition, Chinese account for 24.8%, Indians 6.3% and others 0.4%.
Contacted by The Star later, EC secretary Datuk Kamaruzaman Mohd Noor said transparent ballot boxes would be used in the by-election, but no decision had been made on PKR’s call to use indelible ink.
“If they want the ink to be used in the Permatang Pauh by-election, they should write officially to the commission,” Kamaruzaman said.
Asked if voters would find it inconvenient because polling falls on a working day, he said it should not be the case as past experience had shown that voters were prepared to turn up to exercise their rights even on a working day.
“We will also ensure minimal disruption; and the 25 schools to be used as polling stations will only be closed for a day,” he added.
The seat fell vacant on July 31 when PKR president Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail resigned her parliamentary seat to make way for her husband Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.
Departing from the usual method of holding a press conference to announce the election and nomination dates, EC chairman Tan Sri Abdul Rashid Abdul Rahman issued a statement to the media.
The statement read that the commission was informed of the resignation by the Dewan Rakyat Speaker on Aug 1.
Abdul Rashid said the commission was fully prepared for the by-election, which comes five months after the March 8 general election.
The EC named Seberang Perai Tengah district officer Roslan Yahaya as returning officer.
“The nomination day will be Aug 16 and polling will take place on Aug 26 if there is to be a contest,” Rashid said in the statement.
“It is extremely important for all parties to adhere to the orders and advice of security personnel responsible for maintaining peace and order during the by-election period.
“Members of political parties, candidates, party workers and other individuals involved must ensure that they respect and adhere to election laws and campaign ethics.
“All parties are also reminded that there are several petition cases from the previous election which are still ongoing. Hence, candidates are reminded not to touch on issues involving these cases when campaigning.”
As of July 31, 58,459 voters, 490 of them postal, were registered as eligible to cast their ballot in the Permatang Pauh by-election.
In the March 8 general election, Wan Azizah retained the seat by obtaining 30,338 voters against Datuk Pirdauh Ismail of Umno, who garnered 16,950 votes.
The Permatang Pauh parliamentary constituency comprises three state seats – Seberang Jaya, Permatang Pasir and Penanti. Umno won the Seberang Jaya, PAS retained the Permatang Pasir seat while PKR clinched the Penanti seat.
Except for Seberang Jaya, which is a cosmopolitan centre, the rest of it is made up of villages and farmland, mainly padi fields. Malays make up 68.5% of the voter racial composition, Chinese account for 24.8%, Indians 6.3% and others 0.4%.
Contacted by The Star later, EC secretary Datuk Kamaruzaman Mohd Noor said transparent ballot boxes would be used in the by-election, but no decision had been made on PKR’s call to use indelible ink.
“If they want the ink to be used in the Permatang Pauh by-election, they should write officially to the commission,” Kamaruzaman said.
Asked if voters would find it inconvenient because polling falls on a working day, he said it should not be the case as past experience had shown that voters were prepared to turn up to exercise their rights even on a working day.
“We will also ensure minimal disruption; and the 25 schools to be used as polling stations will only be closed for a day,” he added.
