PAS tells BN not to bother contesting Manik Urai

PAS told Barisan not to bother to contest the Manik Urai state seat, vacated by the death of assemblyman Ismail Yaacob(pic), 60, who passed away from complications arising from diabetes at 6am on Friday.

"Barisan will surely lose. So it might as well not bother to contest," said PAS Elections Director Datuk Nustafa Ali at a press conference at PAS headquarters in Jalan Raja Laut in Kuala Lumpur.

Meanwhile, Bernama reported from Kuala Krai that Kelantan State Assembly Speaker Mohd Nassuruddin Daud will notify the Election Commission of the vacant Manik Urai state seat on Monday.

He said that Friday and Saturday were weekend holidays in Kelantan while Saturday and Sunday were weekend holidays in Kuala Lumpur.

"We will notify the EC of the vacancy on Monday," Mohd Nassuruddin told reporters after paying his last respects to Ismail.

Ismail passed away from complications arising from diabetes at 6am on Friday at the Raja Perempuan Zainab II hospital here.

PAS deputy commissioner II Datuk Nik Mohd Amar Nik Abdullah said he would be buried at his home in Manik Urai after Friday prayers.

Hospitalised in April, Ismail leaves a wife, Siti Zaharah Ibrahim, and 10 children.

Ismail, who was deputy head of the PAS Kuala Krai Division, is one of the longest-serving PAS elected representatives in Kelantan.

He first won the Manik Urai state seat in 1985 and has held the seat for five terms.

He did not contest the seat in the general election in 2004, paving the way for Zamzuri Mat Lazim to be the elected representative.

Ismail contested the seat again in the general election last year and defeated Mohamed Zulkifli Omar of the Barisan Nasional with a majority of 1,352 votes.

Manik Urai is one of the four state seats in the Kuala Krai parliamentary constituency, the others being Dabung, Guchil and Mengkembang.

PAS, helmed in Kelantan by Menteri Besar Datuk Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat, retained Kelantan in the general election last year by winning 38 seats. Barisan won six seats and Parti Keadilan Rakyat, one.

 

( Source : The Star Online )