Umno to decide Friday if it will contest Penanti polls

KUALA LUMPUR: Umno will discuss whether to contest the Penanti by-election at its supreme council meeting Friday.

Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin said it was not a question of Barisan Nasional (BN) being afraid to contest.

“We will take part in any by-election irrespective of whether we lose or win,” he said after visiting SMK Setapak Indah.

Muhyiddin was responding to a statement by Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) strategic planning director Saifuddin Nasution Ismail that Barisan did not want to contest the seat as it was the underdog.

On Sunday, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak had said Barisan was considering staying out of the Penanti by-election as it would be a “sheer waste” of public funds.

The seat fell vacant after former Penang Deputy Chief Minister I Mohammad Fairus Khairuddin announced his resignation.

He had also stepped down as Deputy Chief Minister 1 earlier.

Meanwhile, in Putrajaya, the Election Commission sent out a stern warning to all parties that it intends to get tough to ensure the upcoming Penanti by-election proceeds as smoothly as possible.

Its chairman Tan Sri Abdul Aziz Yusof said that it would strictly enforce the Elections Offences Act 1954 to prevent the rowdy atmosphere during campaigning that has apparently become the trend.

He said that political parties have not been observing the rules during the cooling-off period.

Abdul Aziz said he also wants to restrict the number of supporters who can gather during nomination and polling days, and during the announcement of results.

“The situation on the ground tends to get ‘scary’ as supporters come in the thousands,” he said at a press conference Thursday.

“They fight with each other and voters cannot cast their ballots in peace. The police too have had to maintain a heavy presence (in the last few by-elections),” he added.

There have already been five by-elections since the 12th general election in March last year.

Abdul Aziz said the Commission would seek the advice of the police on limiting the number of supporters according to the situation on the ground.

He said that he would also be meeting representatives from the ruling Barisan Nasional coalition and the opposition Pakatan Rakyat alliance to discuss the matter.