PAS-PKR Conflict Over Candidates For Penanti A Political Gimmick

PENANG, May 4 (Bernama) -- The PAS-PKR conflict in wanting to field their candidate for the Penanti state seat by-election is seen as a strategy to draw Barisan Nasional's (BN) interest to contest in the by-election.
The deputy dean of Universiti Sains Malaysia's School of Social Science, Dr Sivamurugan Pandian, said such a strategy was also to make it look as though there was tension in the constituency.
"This is part of the psychological warfare by both parties. It was the same in the run-up to the Kuala Terengganu (parliamentary seat) by-election and in the end, PAS fielded its candidate there," he said when contacted by Bernama, here, Monday.
Sivamurugan said the dissension portrayed by the two parties was also aimed as gaining support from the voters and local community.
"The voters must make a wise choice in a democratic system that has been in practice for more than 50 years," he said.
The PAS-PKR conflict started when the PAS Youth insisted on fielding its party candidate, supposedly to fulfil the grassroots' wish for the seat to go to PAS although it is not a party stronghold.
However, PAS spiritual leader Datuk Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat had said that he did not want the party members to create problems by going against the agreement reached by the PAS-DAP-PKR pact by demanding that PAS field its candidate in the by-election.
Nik Aziz, who is also Kelantan Menteri Besar, also said that PAS must keep its promise made before with PKR on the allocation of seats.
Nomination of candidates for the Penanti by-election has been fixed for May 23 and polling for May 31, following the resignation of the incumbent assemblyman and Deputy Chief Minister I (DCM1) Mohammad Fairus Khairuddin to pursue further studies.
PKR advisor Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim had decided to field Penang PKR liaison deputy chairman Mansor Othman, who will take over as DCM1 if he wins in the by-election.
In the last general election in 2008, Mansor, 56, contested against BN's Muhamad Farid Saad for the Pulau Betong state seat, but lost by 294 votes when he polled 4,696 votes.
The Penanti constituency has 15,384 registered voters, 72.68 per cent of them Malays, 24.22 per cent Chinese, 2.39 per cent Indians and 0.71 per cent other races.
Sivamurugan also sees the "drama" played out by the PKR leadership as irresponsibility and disrespect for the country's democratic system.
He said each elected representative was given the mandate by the people and should not resign and give up the responsibility just for further studies or to make way for another person, like what happened in Permatang Pauh where a by-election had to be called last year.
"The elected representative should think about his or her other aspirations before getting the mandate from the people. If this (kind of resignation) continues, we are only abusing our democratic system," he said.

tunku : it is sad that some would like to see malaysia governed by the melodrama queens.they are never serious in governing for the sake of the people and the country, it is all about personal agendas and vendetta.nothing is proven under the states they are controlling till date.they are wasting tax payer money for by elections and it may be another by election coming up in selangor.hope that the people will open their eyes and mind(very important).to blindly support just for the sake of opposing is not a good idea.