Isa wins with thumping majority

Isa wins with thumping majority

By SARBAN SINGH and ZULKIFLI AND RAHMAN

PORT DICKSON: Barisan Nasional’s Tan Sri Mohd Isa Samad has won the Bagan Pinang by-election with a landslide 5,435 majority.

Isa, the former Negri Sembilan Mentri Besar, polled 8,013 votes against PAS state commissioner Zulkefly Mohamad Omar’s 2,578.

The by-election was held following the death of Barisan Nasional’s Azman Mohamad Noor due to a blood disorder on Sept 4.

Azman had won the seat against PAS’ Ramli Ismail in the last general election with a 2,333-vote majority, polling 6,430 votes against PAS’ 4,097.

Isa thanked the people of Bagan Pinang for the victory, saying it was a win for Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak’s 1Malaysia concept.

"The people of all races have spoken and this is an endorsement of the Prime Minister’s 1Malaysia concept," he told reporters.

Isa also thanked the Barisan machinery for working tirelessly during the by-election.

"I'm also happy that the Malays, Chinese and Indians are now with Barisan. I hope this will have a domino effect for Barisan in the future," he said.

Isa also thanked Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, who has been leading the charge for the coalition here since nomination day, and Negri Sembilan mentri besar Mohamed Hasan.

Meanwhile, there were several minor scuffles in several places in the morning when supporters from both sides gathered on opposite sides of the Jalan Pantai in Teluk Kemang town.

Angry words and jeers were exchanged and some people were injured when they were hit by stones.


The following is a 'Live Coverage' update of the by-election.

7.50pm: Official result - Barisan’s Mohd Isa Samad wins with a huge majority, getting 8,013 votes against 2,578 for PAS’ Zulkefly

7.25pm: Official results with 15 boxes tallied: Barisan - 6,761: PAS - 2,014. Four more boxes remain to be tallied.

7.08pm: Official results - Siliau: Barisan 349, PAS 113; Sua Betong: Barisan 371, PAS 149; Sirusa: Barisan 136, PAS 78.

6.50pm: Unofficial result: Barisan's Tan Sri Mohd Isa Samad wins with 7,821 votes and PAS' Zulkefly gets 2,480.

6.45pm: Official result for postal votes - Barisan gets 3,521 votes while PAS gets 601

6.05pm: The first ballot box from SK Si Rusa arrives

5.00pm: Polling ends. EC says voter turnout was 81.65percent or 11,157, including postal votes

4.00pm: EC says voter turnout is at 69.5% or 6,301 voters at 4pm, one hour before polling closes.

3.15pm: DPM Muhyiddin says the authorities may want to introduce a 'cooling off period' where party canvassers and supporters are not allowed near polling centres on polling day so that voters can cast their ballots without problems. He said this after a briefing at the Port Dickson district police headquarters.

3.00pm: Police and FRU continue to maintain strong presence at SK Teluk Kemang polling centre amid fears that supporters from both sides may again get into a shoving match

2.15pm: Mohd Isa stops for prayers at Kg Bagan Pinang mosque after finishing his rounds at four of the 8 polling centres - Ladang Bradwall, Ladang Siliau, Ladang Atherton and Ladang Sua Betong. He will go to the other four centres later.

2.00pm: EC says voter turnout at 2pm was 59.2% or 5,371 voters. More voters are expected to show up as the sky has cleared and the day is sunny. Many expected to turn up at the last minute to cast their votes.

1.45pm: State police chief SAC(I) Datuk Osman Salleh confirms that supporters from both sides have been detained. More police personnel will be deployed to ensure the safety of voters who have yet to cast their vote, he added.

There have been several minor scuffles through the day but the situation is under control. Police have warned supporters to stop provoking each other.

Meanwhile, a policeman was injured after being hit by a stone as he tried to prevent fighting between supporters.

1.20pm: Official results will be announced after 8pm, following requests from electronic media for live coverage during prime-time news, says Election Commission.

Meanwhile, voter turnout was 54.14% as at 1pm, according to returning officer Abdul Wahab Shamsuddin.

12.30pm: Voter turnout was at almost 47% by noon, or 4,220 voters.

12.10pm: Situation at Teluk Kemang under control although supporters from both sides continue to engage in shouting matches.

Traffic is at a crawl as more arrive to cast their votes.

Police have broken up a scuffle between Pemuda MIC and PKR supporters in Ladan Siliau.

12.05pm: Several supporters from both parties detained after fracas outside SK Teluk Kemang.

11.30am: Police have mount roadblocks at Teluk Kemang as situation gets tense. One man has been detained. FRU has been called in to intervene. A police helicopter is patrolling the area.

11.30am: About 36% voters have cast their votes. The weather has improved, with sunny skies, but more rain is expected.

11.20am: Some PAS and Barisan supporters get into a shoving match, prompting the cops to intervene.

Traffic from Teluk Kemang heading to Port Dickson is still congested.

11.15am: Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan visits voters at Ladang Bradwell.

PAS' Zulkefly Omar visits Teluk Kemang voters.

11am: Voter turnout at 10am was estimated at 24.07%, with higher turnout expected in the next few hours. The Election Commission hopes for 80% voter turnout overall.

Isa is in Ladang Bradwall after meeting voters in Ladang Siliau and Ladang Atherton. He will complete his rounds in northern Bagan Pinang where four polling stations are located.

10.35am: Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin makes his way to Ladang Bradwall after meeting voters at Port Dickson Polytechnic and SK Sirusa, where he was well-received. It is still drizzling.

10.25am: PAS supporters are claiming many army voters did not vote as a sign of protest.

10:10am: Sources have put voter turnout so far at more than 50%. However, the Election Commission has yet to confirm this.

A group of PAS supporters taunts Isa with "Isa rasuah" slogans, but he walks away unperturbed to meet Barisan canvasers.

9.45am: Barisan Nasiona's Isa Samad meets voters at Ladang Atherton. Indian votes are crucial here.

9.30am: PAS' Zulkefly Omar meets voters at SK Panglima Adnan. Supporters from both sides continue to taunt and shout at each other. Heavy rain in the area.

9.00am: The drizzle shows no sign of letting up, with possibility of a very wet day ahead. Supporters from both sides aren't letting up, though, despite having to stand in the rain.

8.55am: A stretch along Batu 7 Teluk Kemang has been turned into one-way as traffic gets heavier and more chaotic. Cops are present at every corner to assist.

8.48am: A convoy of truck carrying FRU personnal makes its way to polling centres to ensure supporters of both parties behave. It's drizzling again.

8.40am: Traffic along Batu 7 Teluk Kemang, which is the most popular beach stretch here, is at a standstill as voters make their way to SMK Teluk Kemang to cast their ballots.

8.25am: PAS candidate Zulkefly Mohamad Omar makes his way to SMK Bagan Pinang to meet voters.

Voters maker their way to polling centres in Ladang Atherton, Sua Betong, Ladang Siliau and Ladang Bradwall as showers ease.

8.20am: Despite a drizzle in several areas, hundreds of voters have turned up in Teluk Kemang. Supporters from both sides made last-ditch attempts to woo voters.

Heavy police presence at Si Rusa, Teluk Kemang, Taman Eastern and Kg Bagan to ensure smooth polling.

Heavy traffic along Jalan Pantai as picnickers make their way to Port Dickson.

Barisan Nasional candidate Tan Sri Mohd Isa Samad makes his way to Ladang Siliau to meet voters there, the majority of whom are Indian.

8.00am: Balloting for the Bagan Pinang by-election began as soon as polling centres opened. Eight polling centres comprising 18 streams are involved. Police have advised voters to follow directives to ensure smooth traffic flow.

PORT DICKSON: It’s D-Day for voters in Bagan Pinang as they go to the polls Sunday to decide on their representative in the 36-member state assembly.

This will the the ninth by-election in the country after the March 8 general election last year.

The by-election is being held following the death of Barisan Nasional’s Azman Mohamad Noor due to a blood disorder on Sept 4.

The first-term assemblyman had won the seat against PAS’ Ramli Ismail in the last general election with a 2,333-vote majority, polling 6,430 votes against PAS’ 4,097.

This time, Barisan will be represented by Tan Sri Mohd Isa Samad, 59, who is up against PAS’ Zulkefly Mohamad Omar, 45.

Mohd Isa, who was Mentri Besar from 1982 to 2004, was previously a six-term wakil rakyat while Zulkefly, who is also state PAS commissioner, had contested and lost the Lenggeng state seat on three occasions.

However, both will not be casting their ballots this time as they are registered as voters elsewhere.

There will be eight voting centres in this by-election — Taman Eastern, Ladang Atherton, Siliau, Ladang Bradwall, Sua Betong, Kg Bagan Pinang, Si Rusa and Teluk Kemang.

Despite being raised in Kg Bagan Pinang near here, Mohd Isa, who is also Teluk Kemang Umno chief, has never contested the seat. He was Linggi assemblyman for five terms and Jempol MP once.

A former Umno vice-president, he has had to give up his post after being found guilty of breaching the party’s code of ethics in 2005.

He was suspended for six years but this was later reduced to three.

Bagan Pinang is located in the Teluk Kemang parliamentary seat. Four other seats in the constituency are Port Dickson, Linggi, Chuah and Lukut.

Chuah and Port Dickson are held by the PKR while Lukut is under DAP. Only Linggi belongs to Barisan.

Barisan controls 20 of the 36 state seats in the state assembly. The Opposition has 15 seats, with 10 belonging to the DAP while PKR and PAS have four and one respectively.

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