Four busloads of Umno members were not allowed to proceed to Kangar on the morning of the Indera Kayangan by-election last Saturday to prevent traffic congestion in the state capital, Kedah state assembly speaker Badruddin Amiruldin who was at the scene clarified today.

"The polling centres were mostly located in Kangar. To ensure that it was free of traffic congestion, the police stopped heavy vehicles from entering that morning, including the four buses carrying Umno members from the Yan division," said Badruddin, who is also the Yan Umno chief.

The buses were stopped at a police road block at kilometer 20 on the Alor Star-Kangar road. They were, however, allowed to move into Kangar in the afternoon.

On three other buses which were detained by police on the same morning and brought to the Kangar police headquarters, Badruddin said he has no knowledge about them.

On Saturday, Umno's state assemblyperson for Taman Medan, Selangor, Norkhaila Jamaluddin told reporters that she had brought three busloads of her constituency to do shopping. Of the three busloads, two were filled with women only.

Badruddin told malaysiakini that they were asked by the police to wait briefly before being allowed to proceed to Kangar.

Asked the reason for going to Indera Kayangan on polling day, Badruddin said: "As Umno members, we would like to extend our moral support to BN workers in the Indera Kayangan by-election."

Not linked to phantom voters

On the opposition allegations that link the incident to the issue of phantom voters, Badruddin strongly denied them, saying that such a thing only involved opposition parties.

"Our journey has nothing to do with the issue of phantom voters. Only the opposition would do such a thing, not the BN," he said.

Badruddin alleged that the opposition has brought phantom voters into the Yan parliamentary constituency during the 1999 general elections in which he lost by a mere 182 votes to PAS secretary-general Nasharuddin Mat Isa.

In that election, Nasharuddin obtained 16,041 votes to defeat Badruddin who obtained 15,859 votes. In the 1995 general elections, Badruddin won the seat with a majority of 4,343 votes.

"We don't believe in winning the election by using phantom voters. I am confident this problem will be overcome when the Election Commission enforces the new regulation which makes it compulsory for the electorate to vote in constituencies according to the address in the identity cards," he added.

Badruddin also denied opposition allegations that the BN has resorted to "gangsterism" during the by-election.

"How could the people support us if we resort to gangsterism? On the contrary, Umno always deploys clean tactics. As Muslims, we always observe the Islamic principles and avoid using vulgar words on others," he said.