Umno's Ismail Saffian for Bukit Gantang, MIC's S Ganesan for Bukit Selambau and PRS's Malcolm Mussen ak Lamoh for Batang Ai - these are the three named as BN candidates for the forthcoming by-elections.

bukit gantang parliamentary seat 090209Ismail Saffian and S Ganesan's candidacies were announced by Deputy Premier Najib Abdul Razak in Taiping, Perak and Sungai Petani, Kedah, respectively this afternoon.

However, it is unclear who actually announced Malcolm Mussen as the BN's choice. An earlier report that the name was announced by Sarawak Chief Minister Abdul Taib Mahmud has been disputed.

Still needs PM's approval?

Joseph Tawie, reporting for Malaysiakini in Kuching, said it was PRS president Dr James Masing who announced that Mussen, his party's choice, has been selected as the BN candidate. Batang Ai is a PRS seat.

The Sarawak BN met in Kuching today to decide on the candidate. Present were leaders of state BN partners, PBB, Supp, SPDP and PRS.

Sources said that the support given by Supp and SPDP leaders to the PRS candidate at the meeting did not go down well with Taib's PBB. In the end, they reluctantly agreed with Masing's sole nominee on condition that it receives the approval of Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi.

Nonetheless, Masing said he was happy that Mussen was chosen and called on all voters to support him.

james jemut masing “I am happy that our candidate has been unanimously accepted by the State BN and there was no discussion about other names,” he told Malaysiakini in a telephone interview.

Mussem is a Batang Ai local. He is attached to the Agriculture Department and has an engineering degree UPM.

Meanwhile, the announcement by Najib of BN candidates Ismail Saffian and S Ganesan was pretty straightforward. They were the coalition's choices, he had declared.

Ismail Saffian 49, is the former Bukit Gantang Umno division information chief.

Wishes of the people

According to Bernama, Ismail is a local from Kampung Kubu, Bukit Gantang. He is also the human resources and management services director of the National Solid Waste Management and Public Cleaning Corporation.

In announcing Ismail's candidacy today, Najib said a local was chosen in line with the wishes of the people in the area.

bukit selambau state seat kedah 110209The candidate was chosen after a series of discussions with divisional leaders as well as state leaders and assessment from various aspects, he said.

The Bukit Gantang by-election is held simultaneously with the by-elections for the Bukit Selambau state seat in Kedah and Batang Ai state seat in Sarawak.

S Ganesan, the BN man for Bukit Selambau, is the Kedah deputy MIC chief and former Lunas assemblyperson.

The Bukit Selambau seat fell vacant following the resignation of incumbent assemblyman V Arumugam of Parti Keadilan Rakyat last month.

Bukit Gantang was declared vacant following the death of PAS incumbent Roslan Shaharum. The death of PRS incumbent Dublin Unting forced the Batang Ai by-election.

The Election Commission has fixed April 7 for the polling while the nomination day is on March 29. The three by-elections will be held simultaneously.