From The Sun Daily
By Giam Say Koon
TAIPING (April 7, 2009) : The Pakatan Rakyat convincingly retained the Bukit Gantang parliamentary seat today with a “landslide” majority of 2, 789 votes.
Former Perak Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Mohammad, garnered 21, 860 votes in the three-cornered fight against Barisan Nasional (BN)’s Ismail Saffian who obtained 19, 071 votes while independent candidate Kamarul Ramizu Idris, received only 62 votes.
A total of 41, 626 voters or 75.1% of the registered voters casted their ballots which was higher than the 72.4% turnout during the general election last year. There were 456 spoiled votes.
The parliamentary seat which fell vacant following the death of PAS MP Roslan Shaharum, of a heart attack on Feb 9,
Roslan had secured the seat with a majority of 1, 566 votes also in a three-cornered fight against BN’s Datuk Seri Abdul Azim Mohd Zabidi and independent candidate M. Mohganan during the general election last year.
Meeting the Press after the announcement of result was made by the Election Commission returning officer Datuk Mahmud Mursidi at 9.40pm, Mohammad Nizar, 52, said he was very happy that PR had won the by-election.
“As a MP for Bukit Gantang, I will do my job cleanly, proudly, justly and transparently…
“The result is a great signal to the federal government that the people do not want any more corruption and injustice. They want fairness, justice, good governance and a good democratic system,” he told reporters.
“I think this election, with the majority that I have been given by the voters actually sends a lot of signals to everyone….. even to Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak that the people want good governance.
“In a way it (the by-election) is very much a referendum; it is a manifestation of the requirements and needs of the people in Malaysia and Perak.
“It is a referendum to show that we want pure democracy, the right to the people to elect their government on a fair and just manner.
“As a prime minister (Najib), he should have the unifying factor, which he is actually lacking at the moment, so the signal is that credibility is lacking on his side.
“Something needs to be cleaned before the whole Malaysia will unanimously agree that he is the prime minister and that is the message which is strongly sent to him now,” he added.
Mohammad Nizar said the people want the Perak state government to be dissolved to give them the right to choose the right government under an arranged democratic system.
“We do not want any policy made with racial elements and discrimination in governing Malaysia and Perak,” he said.
Asked as to his immediate concerns, Mohammad Nizar said he wants to unify the people of Bukit Gantang so that they can work with PR.
“We are going to request for a quick and urgent dissolution of the Perak government so that the constitutional crisis in Perak can be resolved and that will be my immediate action to stabilise the political scenario in Perak,” he added.
More than 5,000 of supporters from the PR had filled up the Jalan Kota in the Taiping town from 7pm to await the results of the election.
This is the third election for a parliamentary seat that the BN has lost to the Pakatan Rakyat after the Permatang Pauh and Kuala Terengganu seat since the general election last year.
Meanwhile, opposition leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, through a phone interview, told the press that the by-election results sends a message that Malaysians want to change irrespective of the new prime minister.
“They (the people) are stronger in their support for PR,” he said.
Asked if the political tsunami still blows after the last general election, he replied: “Certainly.”
Anwar also said he was very satisfied with the results of the Bukit Gantang and Bukit Selambau by-elections although PR did not expect to win in Batang Ai.
On the most important factor in winning the two seats, he said it was the result of three parties working cohesively as a team.
The total number of registered voters is 55,462, of which 63.5% are Malays, 27.1% Chinese, and 9.1% Indians.
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