Manek Urai rep dies, another by-election now

(The Malaysian Insider) – Five-term Kelantan PAS lawmaker Ismail Yaacob died this morning at the Raja Perempuan Zainab II Hospital in Kota Bahru, paving the way for the seventh by-election since March last year. He was 60.

He died at 6am after succumbing to a long illness.

The Manek Urai assemblyman, who first won the seat in 1986, defeated Barisan Nasional’s Mohamed Zulkifli Omar by 1,352 votes in last year’s general election.

The Manek Urai constituency in central Kelantan is almost an exclusively Malay constituency with 99.3 percent Malay voters. Ismail has represented the seat in all elections except in 2004.

Ismail was also elected the Kuala Krai PAS deputy chief at its annual general meeting recently.

Ismail said in an interview in 1998 that he won his first election in 1986 due to two factors – being in the “right” party (PAS) and his character.

Ismail, who leaves behind 11 children, was the son of a penghulu or village chief in the area, and over the years has helped to improve facilities in his rural constituency.

He also said politics was “in his blood”.

PAS election director Datuk Mustafa Ali is scheduled to have a press conference on Ismail's death at the party headquarters here this morning.