Permatang Pauh by election results

THE Permatang Pauh By-Election was won by Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim. At the end of the vote count at about 9:47pm, the PKR de facto leader received a total majority of 15,671 votes to beat BN's Datuk Arif Shah Omar Shah.

The results at the final tally are:

Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim: 31,195 votes
Datuk Arif Shah Omar Shah: 15,524 votes
Hanafi Hamat: 92 votes
Majority: 15,671 votes
Turnout: 81.01%


To know what happened on the polling day, click here
To know what happened last night at counting center after polling, click here


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BN admits paying "spies" for information

Barisan Nasional candidate for the Permatang Pauh by-election Datuk Arif Shah Omar Shah today admitted to paying local residents to help gather information and gauge voter sentiments, saying that this should not be taken to mean vote buying.
Without disclosing how many people were recruited for this purpose, he said the money was paid not only to BN campaign workers but also to some residents to act as "spies", although they are not told who they were working for.

"We pay them for going to the ground and gathering information for us. Some of them (voters) do not even know that they are 'working' for BN simply because we never tell them that they are getting information for us. This is how our machinery works," he said when met at his house.

"With additional money to 'operate', our spies can go the coffeeshops to talk to the people and to collect information, so that we can know what is really happening in the constituency; not that we want to buy votes."

Arif Shah said the Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) actually wished to do the same, "but we do it first, so now they are using this to attack us."

He was asked about comments by PKR information chief Tian Chua that some voters in Permatang Pauh were getting RM50 to RM300 for cpies of their identity cards, adding that the amount varied according to location and races.

He had advised voters not to accept the money and to vote without fear and according to their conscience.

On this, Arif Shah explained that the BN did not take the voters' identity cards, but merely recorded the identity card numbers for audit purpose.

"We want to know where our money has gone. It is easier for our auditors to check if we have the identity of those who received the money. PKR has been condemning such tactics used by the BN as the Opposition has already received numerous complaints on the incident; however, no voters who received the money dares to testify in public."

Arif Shah also said he is optimistic on his chances to be elected as the MP for the constituency, with only three more days of campaigning left. Polling is on Tuesday.

He described the participation of the Angkatan Keadilan Insan Malaysia (Akim) president Hanafi Mamat in the by-election as being to the disadvantage of PKR, as it would split the opposition votes.

"We know that PAS is silently disagreeing with PKR; so I believe a lot of PAS votes will go to Akim and if Hanafi says he is confident of getting 5,000 votes (as reported in the newspaper), this means PKR will lose 5,000 votes, which is good for me," he said.

However, when asked, Arif Shah denied that Hanafi was planted by BN to split the votes.

Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng, when met at the Butterworth Welfare Department where he gave monetary aid to the needy, lamented that as a candidate, Arif Shah should not use such tactics and that he should be disqualified as a candidate.

"This is the culture of BN, we (Pakatan Rakyat) will never do something like this. If BN wanted to give money to the people, it should give to all and not only limited to Permatang Pauh voters or during a general election or by-election," he told reporters.

However, Lim, who is DAP's secretary-general, said the idea of using informers can only be accepted if it is for the purpose of upholding justice and fighting corruption.

Asked if the Election Commission should act against Arif Shah, he said the commission must take action because as a candidate, he is not even supposed to buy meals for people.

"But the commission uses double standards. If we are using such tactics, it is definite we will be sanctioned by the commission for violating election laws. So we urge the people not to accept the money from BN," he added.

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BN wants PAS to endorse him in Permatang Pauh

Barisan Nasional's Datuk Arif Shah Omar Shah is attempting the unthinkable - he wants Permatang Pasir's Pas assemblyman Hamdan Abdul Rahman to endorse his campaign.

"My people are trying to arrange a meeting with him. I am going to tell him, if I win the Parliament seat, I can help develop his constituency, so both of us can share the credit," he said when met here today.

The BN candidate for the Permatang Pauh by-election is hoping that Pas will abandon its ally Parti Keadilan Rakyat, enabling a fighting chance for him against PKR de facto leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.

Hamdan however is not interested. "His offer is as a sign of desperation. Maybe he realises that BN is going to lose the election.

The three-term Pas assemblyman politely said that was inappropriate to negotiate with Arif Shah during the campaign period.

"We are at war, how can we negotiate with the enemy. Pas cannot afford to destroy Pakatan Rakyat, I will always defend the coalition.

"I was an opposition assemblyman for two terms. Why would I need his help now to bring development to my constituency? Pas machinery is working as usual and I personally attend 10 to 12 programmes a day for the campaign," Hamdan added.

A check at the Pas operation centre in Permatang Pasir showed that the Islamist party was still in high spirits to ensure Anwar's return to Parliament as party workers crowded after a day of campaigning. Several Pas female members were at the centre after returning from canvassing for votes.

"We visited about 200 homes this morning, and we are sure to get 80 percent of the votes in those areas," one of them told The Malaysian Insider.

PKR national strategy director Saifuddin Nasution said Arif Shah was being over ambitious.

"I would like to thank him for his good intention to help develop Permatang Pasir. But don't forget the mega projects in Penang such as the monorail was scrapped by the federal government and there's nothing for someone like Arif Shah can do," he said.

Anwar's campaign has intensified with ceramahs, walkabouts and house to house visit while BN is focusing more visiting voters in their houses.
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Nominations submitted by 4 candidates

Datuk Arif Shah Omar Shah of Barisan Nasional (BN), Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) advisor Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim and two independent candidates had submitted their candidacy for the Permatang Pauh by-election when nominations closed at 10am.

The independent candidates are Hanafi Hamat, president of PAS splinter party Angkatan Keadilan Insan Malaysia (Akim) and Dr Mansor Othman, former Penang PKR chairman.

The objection period is from 10am to 11am.

Arif, 51, dressed in a yellow baju Melayu, was accompanied by Deputy Prime Minsiter Datuk Seri Mohd Najib Tun Razak to the nomination centre at Dewan Aminuddin Baki of the Tuanku Bainun Teaching Institute. He submitted his nomination papers to returning officer Roslan Yahaya as soon as the centre opened at 9am.

Other BN leaders present included Gerakan acting president Tan Sri Dr Koh Tsu Koon, who is also Penang BN chairman, MIC president Datuk Seri S.Samy Vellu, MCA vice-president Datuk Ong Tee Keat, BN Youth chief Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Tun Hussein, Wanita Umno vice-head Datuk Seri Shahrizat Jalil and Umno information head Tan Sri Muhammad Muhamad Taib.

Several minutes later, Anwar, 61, wearing a light blue baju Melayu, submitted his nomination form.

He was accompanied by his wife, Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Ismail, three of their children, Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng, PAS vice-president Husam Musa, and DAP chairman Karpal Singh. PAS spiritual leader Datuk Nik Aziz Nik Mat arrived at 9.30am.

Hanafi submitted his nomination papers at 9.25am and Dr Mansor, a few minutes later.

The Permatang Pauh by-election is being held after its MP, Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Ismail, resigned to make way for her husband, Anwar, to contest the seat. Polling is on Aug 26.

Police deployed about 3,000 officers and men to control the crowd of more than 10,000 banner-toting supporters and conducted land and aerial surveillance to ensure that the nomination proceeded smoothly.

The fine weather added to the cheerful atmosphere at the centre.

-- BERNAMA
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BN chose state assemblyman as candidate for Permatang Pauh

By Wan Hamidi Hamid
Political editor
AUG 14 — He is the best candidate the Barisan Nasional can offer to take on Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim; and to a certain extent, he is.

Datuk Ariff Shah Omar Shah, the Seberang Jaya state assemblyman, has been named as the BN candidate for the Permatang Pauh parliamentary by-election on Aug 26.

It is also a rarity for the peninsular BN to put up a candidate who's already a wakil rakyat, especially in a constituency where Umno has 17,000 members. Surely it should be a case of being spoilt for choice.

But as Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Abdul Razak, who announced the candidacy in Seberang Jaya last night, had said, two-term assemblyman Ariff Shah, 52, was the best candidate to take on the Parti Keadilan Rakyat de facto leader.

For one, Ariff Shah is the only BN candidate in the three state assembly seats within the Permatang Pauh parliamentary constituency who survived the March 8 political tsunami.

Another factor is that he's the quintessential politician — a nice, friendly and good humoured person. He is also seen as a hardworking assemblyman who is quite approachable. In other words, he's a good wakil rakyat.

During the last general election campaign, he was among the very few BN candidates who were seen stopping by the opposition's pondok panas or campaign booths to shake hands and have coffee with the party workers.

His command of Mandarin and Hokkien is legendary, and he has even sent his children to Chinese schools.

During the 2004 general election, Malaysians' generous mandate to the then new Prime Minister also gave first-time candidate Ariff Shah a thumping majority of 4,464 votes over the well-known figure Dr Mansor Othman, who was then Penang PKR chief.

However, Abdullah's unpopularity later also cut Ariff Shah's majority to only 553 votes to an unknown Ramli Bulat of PKR, and most of the votes he received were said to be from postal votes.

With Anwar planning the final chapter of his political comeback via Permatang Pauh after his wife and three-term MP Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail vacated the seat, any BN candidate is in for a very tough fight.

Not only the locals are happy to see the return of their prodigal son but they also know that Ariff Shah was once supporting Anwar when the latter was deputy prime minister and a heartbeat away from occupying Putrajaya.

Yet, any other candidate than Ariff Shah would have spelled trouble for the BN.

As widely speculated before, the option of Permatang Pauh Umno chief Datuk Abdul Jalil Majid, who lost his bid to defend his Penanti state seat, would not entice fence-sitters although he was the preferred choice of the Umno division.

His deputy Datuk Pirdaus Ismail, the former National Mosque imam who has the dubious honour of losing twice to Wan Azizah apart from not being local and allegedly does not spend much time in the constituency, is a sure case to be third time unlucky

The name of Ezam Mohd Noor, former PKR Youth chief, was just a media ploy. He's even more of an outsider than Pirdaus.

In the present scenario, Ariff Shah does not have much to lose personally. Win or lose, he's still the state assemblyman. He's also known for his record of servicing his constituency and anyone who has visited his service centre in Seberang Jaya will be easily impressed with his community work.

But can he win the by-election?

Najib, who is also BN deputy chairman, is confident that he can and Ariff Shah himself is confident he had a good chance to wrest the seat lost to Wan Azizah since 1999.

However, Najib's tone when explaining the reason for voters to support the BN candidate seemed to send an underlying signal.

"I hope all the unselected candidates will give full support and work together in mobilising the party's machinery to ensure BN’s victory. During the campaign, don't push aside the selected candidate although in our division we are not supporting him.

"Don't look at him as the enemy," Najib said, alluding to the Umno divisional polls where Ariff is among candidates jockeying to lead Permatang Pauh in a tough race with Abdul Jalil, who has received 16 nominations, Pirdaus 14 and former deputy division head Datuk Ahmad Saad five.

Umno leaders understand very well the delicate situation when a division is embroiled in a fierce contest; not only it is full of bickering and back-biting, it also exposed to rampant money politics or bribes.

"We have to strive to achieve success and we should not entertain other considerations and we should not think who will become Umno division chief and so on. Instead, think of the strategy to win this by-election," added Najib in a clear message of putting everything the BN has to fight Anwar and deny his political comeback.

The Permatang Pauh Umno division has decided to postpone all branch meetings until after the by-election. Party branches throughout the country are conducting their annual meeting and branch polls as well as elections of representatives to the divisional meetings in October.

While Ariff Shah may have to fend off internal fights and sabotage, he also needs to convince voters in the more rural Penanti and Permatang Pasir to vote for him.

The problem for him in the semi-rural Penanti is that the assemblyman is PKR's Muhamad Fairuz Khairudin, Penang deputy chief minister who won with a comfortable majority of 2,000-plus votes to beat Abdul Jalil, who is expected to mobilise support in his state seat.

For the more rural Permatang Pasir, the state constituency has been synonymous with Pas since 1999. Three-term incumbent Mohd Hamdan Abdul Rahman, also Penang Pas deputy commissioner, is popular with his constituents.

Even in Seberang Jaya, Ariff lost a lot of votes he gained in 2004. His only ammunition is his serving wakil rakyat badge of honour. But with inflation, high cost of living and higher fuel price, there's nothing much he can do if voters are still in their political tsunami mood.

Even if he wants to utilise his language skills with the help of the MCA and Gerakan to woo Chinese voters, he is facing a big team of Chinese-majority DAP leaders campaigning for Anwar.

Popular Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng, who is also the MP for nearby Bagan, is also expected to campaign regularly for the PKR de facto chief.

This is one by-election where the BN candidate needs help not only from Najib but also the Prime Minister whose neighbouring constituency is the Kepala Batas parliamentary seat.

Even if he loses as expected to his former political compatriot, at least Ariff Shah can hope to reduce the 13,000-plus majority votes garnered by Wan Azizah in the last elections.

Excerpt from http://themalaysianinsider.com/index.php/headlines/42-lead-stories/2943-bns-ariff-shah-first-impressions
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