Another byelection in Malaysia - Penanti, Penang

Satu lagi pilihanraya kecil di Malaysia, bakal diadakan berikutan perletakan jawatan bekas timbalan ketua menteri pulau pinang, Mohd Fairus Khairuddin sebagai ADUN Penanti berkuat kuasa hari ini Khamis, 16 April 2009.

Ia pilihanraya kecil ke 6 selepas pilihanraya umum ke 12, Mac tahun lalu.

5 pilihanraya kecil sebelum ini adalah di Parlimen Permatang Pauh, Parlimen Kuala Terengganu, Parlimen Bukit Gantang, DUN Bukit Selambau dan DUN Batang Air.

Kesemua kawasan itu kecuali DUN Batang Air, Sarawak, dimenangi Pembangkang.

Former Penang Deputy Chief Minister, Mohd Fairus Khairuddin today resigned as assemblyman for Penanti, paving the way for the 6th by-election in Malaysia, since the 12th general election in March last year.

The previous 5 by election were held in 3 Parliamentary constituencies namely Permatang Pauh, Kuala Terengganu and Bukit Gantang, all won by the opposition.

2 state constituency byelection were also held - Bukit Selambau state in Kedah won by the opposition through Parti Keadilan Rakyat and Batang Air in Sarawak, won by the ruling BN, Barisan Nasional.

The score corrently stands at 4-1, in favour of the 3 parties opposition pact, DAP, PKR and PAS.

The newsreport by the Star online on Fairus resignation as assemblyman.

KUALA LUMPUR: Former Penang Deputy Chief Minister 1 Mohd Fairus Khairuddin resigned as Penanti assemblyman effective Thursday, paving the way for yet another possible by-election.

In a press statement, he said that he would now focus on his post-graduate studies and in clearing his name from the allegations hurled against him.

"I made this decision after taking into realistic considerations the people whom I represent as well as to protect the interest of PKR,” he said.

“This decision enables me to focus on my doctorate studies and allows me more time with my family since I have sacrificed much when I carried out my duties,” he said.

He thanked his constituents for supporting him and said that he was quitting for the good of Pakatan Rakyat its struggle under the leadership of Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.

In an immediate response, the Election Commission said it was awaiting official notification of Fairus’s as Penanti assemblyman.

Its chairman Tan Sri Abdul Aziz Yusof said the Commission would only start to look into the resignation and the possible by-election once it was officially informed of the resignation.

He said the state assembly speaker would usually notify the state Commission office of a vacancy or it could also be contacted by the representative involved.

“As yet, we have not received any notification to the effect from the Penang state assembly speaker or our state office so are unable to confirm the facts,” he said when contacted in PUTRAJAYA.

He said however that if Fairus had indeed quit then a by-election would be held to elect a new representative to replace him.

He said the commission’s machinery was always ready and would be able to handle another by-election if there was a need for one.