By Adib Zalkapli - The Malaysian Insider
PORT DICKSON, Sept 29 — Just hours before the announcement of the Barisan Nasional (BN) candidate for the Bagan Pinang by-election, several banners declaring support for Tan Sri Isa Samad and threatening a boycott have been put up in the state constituency.
One banner threatening a boycott if the former Negeri Sembilan mentri besar is not fielded was put up just next to the BN operation centre in Batu 6 here, where Datuk Seri Najib Razak and his deputy Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin are scheduled to name the coalition’s candidate later today.
Just yesterday, Muhyiddin who is also the BN election director revealed that the Teluk Kemang Umno division led by Isa had submitted more than one name to be candidate, suggesting that the former Umno vice-president was not the only name being considered by the party’s central leadership.
Commenting on the appearance of the banners, Teluk Kemang Umno division deputy chief Datuk Ismail Taib said he had directed party workers to bring them down.
“This is the work of mad people, even Tan Sri will not agree to this. I have asked my boys to tear down the banners,” Ismail told The Malaysian Insider.
Isa is widely expected to be named the BN candidate, a decision backed by Negri Sembilan Umno warlords and also the majority of the electorate according to a survey commissioned by PAS.
If Isa is fielded in Bagan Pinang, it will be his second attempt at making a comeback after failing to defend the vice-president’s post during the party elections in April.
The Bagan Pinang by-election was triggered by the death of BN’s Azman Mohammad Noor on Sept 4.
It is situated within the Teluk Kemang parliamentary constituency represented by PKR’s Datuk Kamarul Baharin Abbas.
Apart from Bagan Pinang, Umno also won the neighbouring Linggi state seat in last year’s elections, while PR controls three other state seats in Teluk Kemang — Chuah (PKR), Lukut (DAP) and Port Dickson (PKR).
In March last year, Azman defeated Ramli Ismail of PAS, by some 2,000 votes.
BN is currently ruling the state with a simple majority after winning jsut 21 out of the 36 state constituencies.
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