Nomination day in Manik Urai (Updated 10.05am)

(The Nut Graph) KUALA KRAI, 6 July 2009: Nomination day for the Manik Urai by-election began this morning in what is the seventh by-election for Malaysia since the March 2008 general election.

This by-election for a state seat in Kelantan is being held because of the death of the incumbent, PAS's Ismail Yaacob, who died of a heart attack on 22 May 2009.

The battle for the predominantly Malay Malaysian constituency will for the most part be between PAS and Umno. Manik Urai, which is one of the four state seats in the Kuala Krai parliamentary constituency, is a PAS stronghold.

Manik Urai has 12,293 voters, 99.2% of whom are Malay Malaysians. Other ethnic groups make up the rest.

Both parties have already named their candidates for the by-election. PAS's candidate is fish wholesaler, Mohd Fauzi Abdullah while Umno/Barisan Nasional (BN)'s candidate is Tuan Aziz Tuan Mat, who is the Kuala Krai Umno Youth chief and former Kesedar manager.

Nomination began at 9am at Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Sultan Yahya Petra (1).

Read more at: http://www.thenutgraph.com/nomination-day-in-manik-urai