Are they waiting to be paid off?
At least 20 sets of election nomination forms have been snapped up by agents of the hopefuls, although the number of forms sold by the Kedah Election Commission does not reflect the number of candidates contesting.
Zubaidah Abu Bakar, New Straits Times
FOR reasons best known to themselves, more than a dozen people think they can become the new assemblyman for Bukit Selambau.
While it is accepted that the real players on April 7 — that's when a by-election will be held to fill the vacant seat — will be drawn from Pakatan Rakyat and Barisan Nasional, the exceptional interest among other individuals wanting to join the fray is raising questions.
To date, eight individuals have publicly announced that they will contest the by-election, called after the resignation of independent-turned-Parti Keadilan Rakyat representative A. Arumugum last month.
At least 20 sets of election nomination forms have been snapped up by agents of the hopefuls, although the number of forms sold by the Kedah Election Commission does not reflect the number of candidates contesting.
"The form is not limited to one set per person and the buyers normally buy extra copies in case they make errors while filling in one," Kedah EC director Zainal Abidin Zakaria said.
There is no less chaos within either the Pakatan Rakyat or BN coalitions. Their component parties have also expressed the desire to field their candidates, despite the seat having been allocated to Parti Keadilan Rakyat with MIC on the opposing side in the 2008 general election.
Even the outlawed Hindu Rights Action Force, which is Pakatan-friendly, is keen to contest.
But PKR strategist Saifuddin Nasution Ismail confirmeda PKR candidate would represent Pakatan Rakyat in Bukit Selambau. "There are 10 names on our list, from which we will choose one with the least baggage."
Bukit Selambau was traditionally a DAP seat prior to 2008. PKR candidate Saiful Izham Ramli was unable to contest after his nomination papers were rejected on a technicality.
Following this, an immediate agreement was struck with Arumugum, who filed his papers as an independent, to join PKR soon after winning the election.
Arumugum was subsequently appointed a member of the Kedah state executive council, but quit both his seat and the state government post last month after claiming to have received threats to his family amid allegations of bigamy against him.
There was also jostling among BN component parties, despite Bukit Selambau being a seat traditionally contested by MIC. As it was an Umno seat before the MIC takeover in 1995, Merbok Umno division has openly suggested that the seat be returned to Umno. It is said that the division is keen to field its division chief, Datuk Tajul Urus Md Zain.
Given that the Bukit Selambau by-election is the least significant compared to the Bukit Gantang and Batang Ai parliamentary elections — also to be held on the same day — questions arise as to why it has become a hotly sought-after seat. A win by the BN or an independent would not change the equation in the Kedah state legislative assembly, which is controlled by Pakatan Rakyat.
What then could possibly be the reason or reasons? Political analyst Ong Kian Ming thinks some of those intending to contest as independents could be waiting to be paid off by either Pakatan or BN. "There could be two or more independent candidates eventually contesting, but their effect will be minimal," he says.
This is true, but for PKR hopefuls, the high stakes are the main attraction. "The carrot is, of course, the state exco post vacated by Arumugam," says Saifuddin.
It is understood that Kedah Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Azizan Razak is hoping that an Indian PKR candidate will contest and retain the seat so that he could be appointed to fill the 10th state executive councillor's seat, now still vacant.
As a lesson, Ong says, PKR's de facto leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim ought to screen carefully the list of candidates in his hands to ensure no repeat of the Perak defections, or another Arumugam stunt. Arumugam won the Bukit Selambau seat when he defeated the BN candidate, MIC's S. Krishnan, by 2,362 votes.
Whoever ends up with their names on the ballot papers for the N25 by-election will have to win the hearts and minds of 30,850 voters, of whom 50 per cent are Malay, 29 per cent Indian and 19 per cent Chinese.
