PAS Pahang commissioner Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man is shocked that the Election Commission has fixed the same dates for nomination and polling for the Kerdau and Merlimau by-elections.

Tuan Ibrahim, who is PAS vice-president, said more time should be given to all parties to prepare for the polls.

The polling date, March 6, falling on Sunday, may inconvenience outstation voters who would have to work the next day.

"They only have a day to travel, vote and return to the place where they work... this is too rushed," he said.

tuan ibrahim tuan manHowever, PAS is still prepared to face the election, Tuan Ibrahim (right) said, because it had looked seriously into the matter in Pahang when the former Kerdau assembly representative became critically ill.

"We have also been talking to our Pakatan Rakyat partners in the state, so we are quite prepared," he told reporters in Kedah today.

Gearing up for battle ahead

"But we have to double our efforts at all stages and at every polling station as the time is really short," he added.

Last night EC chairman Abdul Aziz Mohd Yusof announced that the nomination day for both by-elections has been set for Feb 26, followed by voting on March 6.

Tuan Ibrahim said PAS would be submitting the names of three candidates to the party's central committee soon.

All three of them are local professionals, he added, and the one chosen would be revealed on Feb 24, simultaneously with its candidate for Merlimau.

He also proposed that the EC looks into ways to minimise the burden and costs incurred in by-elections. The country is currently seeing its 16th and 17th by-elections, a record high since independence in 1957.

Proposal to discourage party hopping

He suggested that the parties that won seats during the general election be allowed to continue serving the people, in case of deaths or party-hopping of assemblypersons or parliamentarians.

"This will definitely reduce cost, corruption and injustices related to by-elections... it will also discourage party-hopping or attempts to buy the representatives," he said.

NONEIt would also ensure that voters were not pressured or threatened into casting votes against their choice, and they would not be put in an uncomfortable situation when voting, Tuan Ibrahim added.

The Kerdau seat became vacant following the death of its assemblyperson Zaharuddin Abu Kassim, 63, (left) of a heart attack last Saturday.

In the 2008 general election, Zaharuddin of BN-Umno defeated PAS candidate Hassanuddin Salim by a majority of 1,615 votes.
Zaharuddin obtained 4,135 votes while Hassanuddin obtained 2,520 votes.