Bukit Gantang seat returned to Umno
Muda Mohd NoorPublished: Aug 7, 2007 9:45 AM | Updated: Jan 29, 2008 10:21 AM
Perak Menteri Besar Tajol Rosli Ghazali has announced that the Bukit Gantang Parliamentary seat, presently held by Gerakan, would be contested by Umno in the coming general elections.
Perak Menteri Besar Tajol Rosli Ghazali has announced that the Bukit Gantang Parliamentary seat, presently held by Gerakan, would be contested by Umno in the coming general elections.
Bukit Gantang Umno chief Mat Isa Ismail when contacted confirmed this, adding that his division members welcomed the announcement made by Tajol Rosli (left), who is also Perak Umno and Barisan Nasional chairperson.
Mat Isa, who is also the Perak state assembly speaker, said Tajol Rosli made the announcement at least twice.
The first incident was during the state Umno meeting two months ago, followed by a second announcement during a meeting of Perak BN component parties early last month.
"Thus, my division and I believe that the parliamentary seat will be contested by a Umno candidate during the upcoming general elections.
"The news has delighted some 20,000 members in the Bukit Gantang division and Malays in general," said Mat Isa, who is the Changkat Jering state assemblyperson.
One-term compromise
The Bukit Gantang Parliamentary seat is presently represented by Gerakan Women's wing chief Tan Lian Hoe, who won the Malay-majority seat comfortably during the 2004 general elections.
Prior to 2004, Bukit Gantang was traditionally contested by Umno. The seat was 'loaned' to Gerakan after it's traditional Taiping Parliamentary seat was 'loaned' to PPP in a one-off arrangement.
Mat Isa described the decision by BN leaders to 'return' the Bukit Gantang to Umno as a form of "home coming".
He added that Bukit Gantang is a Malay majority constituency where 65 percent of the populace, or about100,000 people, are Malays.
During the 1999-2004 term, Bukit Gantang was represented by former deputy foreign minister Dr Abdullah Fadzil Che Wan.
Last Friday, Umno supreme council member Ahmad Zahid Hamidi described the 2004 arrangement in Bukit Gantang as a "political compromise" to allow PPP to contest in Taiping.
However, he said the "compromise" was only for one term.
"We understand that Perak Umno had to sacrifice because other states did not want to give seats to PPP," said Ahmad Zahid.
A special meeting between Umno, MCA, Gerakan, MIC and PPP is expected to be held some time this month to discuss PPP's request for more seats to be contested during the upcoming general elections.
Bukit Gantang Umno chief Mat Isa Ismail when contacted confirmed this, adding that his division members welcomed the announcement made by Tajol Rosli (left), who is also Perak Umno and Barisan Nasional chairperson. Mat Isa, who is also the Perak state assembly speaker, said Tajol Rosli made the announcement at least twice.
The first incident was during the state Umno meeting two months ago, followed by a second announcement during a meeting of Perak BN component parties early last month.
"Thus, my division and I believe that the parliamentary seat will be contested by a Umno candidate during the upcoming general elections.
"The news has delighted some 20,000 members in the Bukit Gantang division and Malays in general," said Mat Isa, who is the Changkat Jering state assemblyperson.
One-term compromise
The Bukit Gantang Parliamentary seat is presently represented by Gerakan Women's wing chief Tan Lian Hoe, who won the Malay-majority seat comfortably during the 2004 general elections. Prior to 2004, Bukit Gantang was traditionally contested by Umno. The seat was 'loaned' to Gerakan after it's traditional Taiping Parliamentary seat was 'loaned' to PPP in a one-off arrangement.
Mat Isa described the decision by BN leaders to 'return' the Bukit Gantang to Umno as a form of "home coming".
He added that Bukit Gantang is a Malay majority constituency where 65 percent of the populace, or about100,000 people, are Malays.
During the 1999-2004 term, Bukit Gantang was represented by former deputy foreign minister Dr Abdullah Fadzil Che Wan.
Last Friday, Umno supreme council member Ahmad Zahid Hamidi described the 2004 arrangement in Bukit Gantang as a "political compromise" to allow PPP to contest in Taiping. However, he said the "compromise" was only for one term.
"We understand that Perak Umno had to sacrifice because other states did not want to give seats to PPP," said Ahmad Zahid.
A special meeting between Umno, MCA, Gerakan, MIC and PPP is expected to be held some time this month to discuss PPP's request for more seats to be contested during the upcoming general elections.
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