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EC expected bigger turnout, says chairman
PORT DICKSON: The Bagan Pinang
by-election saw a 81.65% voter turnout
when polling closed at 5pm. A total of
11,170 of the 13,664 registered voters
cast their ballots.
The percentage was a slight increase
from the voter turnout during the gen-
eral election last year when 81.75% cast
their votes.
“I am a little disappointed with the
turnout as I had expected a 90% turnout
since it is a Sunday,” Election Commis-
sion chairman Tan Sri Abdul Aziz Mohd
Yusof told Bernama.
He said the EC would conduct an
analysis to find out why there was no
increase in the percentage of voters.
“We want to find out whether it
was due to the weather – because it
only rained for a while in the morning
and (there was) sporadic rain in the
afternoon – or was it because of the
supporters who had disrupted traffic
by making a lot of noise?”
Abdul Aziz said setting the polling
date on a rest day had failed to attract
more voters but instead had attracted a
lot of party supporters from outside.
He said that despite traffic interrup-
tions from supporters, police were able
to control the flow of vehicles while
polling was in progress.
Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhy-
iddin Yassin suggested that polling day
in the next general election be turned
into a “day of calmness”.
He said the “day of calmness” would
be made a regulation so that voters
would feel at ease and not feel threat-
ened when going to the polling centre.
“There should not be any brawls
because it is not a quarrel between
the supporters. What is important is
the voters. The voting process will be
smoother and probably more people
Isa: 1Malaysia concept has
gone down well people
» From Front Page
Bagan Pinang voted Tan Sri Isa.
Our efforts have not gone in
vain.
“It’s also good to know that
the Indian and Chinese voters
have supported BN.”
Isa, a five-term Linggi assem-
blyman and one-term Jempol MP,
attributed his win to the success
of the 1Malaysia concept pro-
moted by Prime Minister Datuk
Seri Najib Abdul Razak.
Flashing the “one” sign, he
said: “I am grateful that the
people voted me in. I believe
the 1Malaysia concept has
gone down well with the people
in Bagan Pinang.”
He said he also owed his
victory to the good work done
by the BN machinery, and
the support of the Indian and
Chinese voters, who make up
more than 30% of the elector-
ate in the constituency.
will come out to cast their votes,” he
told reporters after attending a brief-
ing at the Port Dickson district police
headquarters yesterday.
Muhyiddin said the time had come
for discussions to be held among the
government, local authorities and the
EC to ensure that the law was upheld
The
massive
traffic
congestion
on Jalan
Teluk
Kemang-
Port
Dickson.
Police
defuse
a tense
situation
involving
PAS and
Umno
supporters.
“The support from the
Indians and Chinese is very
encouraging and it is evident
they support the BN now.”
Isa said he did not expect
BN to win by such a huge
majority.
PAS’s Bagan Pinang cam-
paign director, Salahuddin
Ayob, said the party will study
the outcome of the by-election
as soon as possible.
Umno vice-president Datuk
Seri Hishammuddin Hussein
said among the factors that
contributed to BN’s win were
the personality and leadership
of the former Negri Sembilan
mentri besar which endeared
him to the constituents.
Hishammuddin, who is also
home minister, said the win also
proved that the voters in the
area did not forget the services
and contributions of Mohd Isa,
who is also the Teluk Kemang
Umno division chief.
during the general election.
“I’ve learnt a lot from the numerous
by-elections ... the question of poor traf-
fic control, hawkers who set up their
stalls without obtaining the necessary
licence ... such instances show that they
completely ignore the law,” he said.
He said such weaknesses could be
Cops nab BN, PAS supporters
PORT DICKSON: Police arrested
more than a dozen of Barisan Na-
sional and PAS supporters following
scuffles at polling centres in Bagan
Pinang.
Negri Sembilan police chief
Datuk Osman Salleh confirmed that
supporters from both parties were
detained after a fracas outside SK
Teluk Kemang.
He said a policeman was injured
when a stone hit him as he was trying
to stop a fight between two groups of
supporters.
Osman said additional police
personnel were deployed at various
areas along Teluk Kemang to prevent
untoward incidents and a police
helicopter was used to monitor the
situation.
Earlier, there was a scuffle be-
tween MIC Youth members and Parti
Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) supporters at
Voter’s pet attracts attention
PORT DICKSON: Neo Chin Teck may
be just an ordinary voter in the Bagan
Pinang by-election but his arrival at
the polling centre at SK Telok Kemang
yesterday captured the attention of the
voters.
This was because he was accompa-
nied by “Bobby”, a baby monkey clad in
a diaper.
“Bobby has been under my care for
about three months now. I first saw him
theSun | MONDAY OCTOBER 12 2009
because the existing regulations were
not stringent enough which resulted in
the emergence of the illegal stalls.
Muhyiddin said there was still ten-
sion because large crowds gathered
at certain spots although the EC had
previously banned the setting up of
“canvassing booths”.
He also observed, during his rounds
at the polling centres with Inspector-
General of Police Tan Sri Musa Hassan,
several incidents involving PAS and
Umno supporters.
“I observed there were tense situa-
tions at two or three places. There were
also incidents of stone throwing and so on
to the extent that policemen were slightly
injured but they were not very serious.
“Like I’ve said, they probably feel the
pressure and have received the signal
that they will not get the support and
suffer a major defeat. So, they resort to
this tactic. If possible, the voters will not
go out and they fear that the percent-
age of votes will drop,” he said.
However, he gave an assurance the
situation was under control as the brawls
had not only occurred in Bagan Pinang
but also at several past by-elections.
Musa said police had detained two
men for being involved in a brawl and
stone-throwing incident in Teluk Ke-
mang. “I can’t disclose which political
party they are supporting because the
incidents are still being investigated,
the stone-throwing had also injured our
policemen,” he said. – Bernama
Ladang Siliau.
Quick action by police prevented
a fight as the supporters were getting
ready to exchange blows.
The voters in Bagan Pinang began
streaming into polling centres as early
as 8am and the shouting matches be-
tween BN and PAS supporters started
after 10am when huge number of
supporters began gathering at Teluk
Kemang.
The supporters jeered at passing
cars which bore the flags of the op-
position parties.
A constant stream of abusive words
was hurled at each another and traffic
came to a standstill on Jalan Teluk
Kemang-Port Dickson after “human
traffic” spilled on to the roads.
The traffic jam extended to the Port
Dickson Highway exit as a result.
The shouting match continued
way past 2pm.
at a friend’s fruit stall nearby, bleeding
from dog bites, and he has been my pet
since,” he told Bernama.
Bobby’s presence and antics also
attracted the attention of the Election
Commission chairman Tan Sri Abdul Aziz
Mohd Yusof (pix), who posed with the
monkey for photographs.
Neo was told to leave his monkey
outside the hall before he was allowed
to cast his vote. – Bernama