Umno will be deciding soon if it wants to contest in the Penanti state seat by-election which will be held on May 31. The nomination day for the polling is on May 23.

The decision will be made by the party's political bureau which will meet soon, said Prime Minister and Umno president Najib Abdul Razak today.

najib razak acccim 170409 pc "Wait. We will meet soon," he said when asked to comment on the Election Commission announcement today of the nomination and polling dates.

Previously Najib, who is also the BN chairperson, had suggested that the coalition skipped the by-election as it was a waste of public funds.

He had also said that BN did not want to play to the tune of the opposition.

The seat was declared vacant following the resignation of former Penang deputy chief minister I Mohammad Fairus Khairuddin of PKR on April 16.

The premier however said that BN will only sit out of the contest if it was agreed by all coalition partners. For its part, Umno will consider its situation at the political bureau meeting which is headed by Najib.

Local Umno leaders in Penanti have been urging the party to contest in the by-election, a call which was also made by former party president and ex-prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad.

BN welcomes party kiosks ruling

And in Johor Baru, deputy prime minister Muhyiddin Yassin said that the final decision if BN/Umno would contest in the Penanti by-election would be made by Najib.

penanti state seat penang 200409 "We will take into account the views of all quarters," he said, according to a Bernama report.

In the last general election, in March last year, Mohammad Fairus won the

Penanti seat with a majority of 2,219 votes by beating Abdul Jalil Abdul Majid of the BN.

On another matter, Najib also agreed with the EC in its decision to disallow party kiosks close to polling centres.

Najib said the move would provide for a peaceful atmosphere and prevent scuffles.

"A large number of supporters at these kiosks can lead to scuffles which can prevent voters from going to the polling centres," he said.