By Adib Zalkapli - The Malaysian InsiderPORT DICKSON, Oct 4 — PAS today defended its decision to field its Negri Sembilan chief Zulkefly Omar who is not from the Bagan Pinang constituency, adding that Umno’s Tan Sri Mohd Isa Abdul Samad had failed as the mentri besar despite being a local boy.
“In my hands here, is one of the abandoned projects under the leadership of Isa as the mentri besar and when he was the assemblyman for Linggi,” PAS Bagan Pinang by-election director Salahuddin Ayub told reporters.
The Islamist party vice-president warned Barisan Nasional (BN) campaign machinery that the party will reveal all the weaknesses of the Isa administration if the ruling coalition continues to harp on Zulkefly’s origin.
Isa represented Linggi, situated just outside Bagan Pinang, when he was the Negri Sembilan mentri besar until 2004.
“The Pasir Panjang main road to Linggi is still under repair since Isa was the MB until today,” said Salahuddin, adding that PAS campaign will focus on the long list of abandoned government projects in across the state.
“For your information our candidate in the last by-election, Mohd Salleh Man is not a local too unlike BN’s Rohaizat Othman, but the people rejected an untrustworthy candidate,” he said referring to the Permatang Pasir by-election in Penang last August where BN fielded a disbarred lawyer.
He noted Umno has been promoting Isa as a local boy because the Malay nationalist party has been unable to defend the former federal territory minister who was found guilty of vote-buying in 2005 by the party disciplinary committee.
The decision to field Isa who was suspended from Umno for three years, was also opposed by Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad.
On the allegation by Umno supreme council member Datuk Abdul Azeez Abdul Rahim that he was beaten up by PAS supporters yesterday, Salahuddin said it was a lie.
“I met him yesterday and he looked okay, let him say whatever he wants, so he can get all the publicity he wants,” said Salahuddin.
The Bagan Pinang by-election was triggered by the death of BN’s Azman Mohammad Noor on Sept 4. In March last year, Azman defeated Ramli Ismail, of PAS, by 2,333 votes.
BN is currently ruling the state with a simple majority after winning just 21 of the 36 state constituencies.
This crucial by-election is expected to end PR’s winning streak in all elections in the peninsula since last year.
It will also mark the return of Isa to mainstream politics since his suspension.
Most of the 14,000 Bagan Pinang electorates will cast their votes on Oct 11, while some 4,600 postal voters will go to the polls on Oct 8.
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