BN’s Rohaizat will face PAS’ Mohd Salleh in Permatang Pasir by-election

(The Star) BUKIT MERTAJAM: Permatang Pauh Umno secretary Rohaizat Othman is Barisan Nasional’s candidate for the Permatang Pasir by-election.

Barisan deputy chairman Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin made the announcement at Barisan’s by-election operations centre in Bukit Merah, Permatang Pauh at 5.20pm.

Meanwhile, PAS named its Penang commissioner Mohd Salleh Man, 52, as its candidate.

Rohaizat graduated from Universiti Islam Antarabangsa. He is the director of a printing company.

Rohaizat said he was confident of winning the seat despite PAS’ plan to field a seasoned opponent. “The constituency may be a PAS stronghold but in politics nothing is impossible.

“I will work hard to ensure victory with the support of coalition members,” he said before thanking Barisan leaders for their faith in him.

Mohd Salleh, who assumed the state top party post last year, obtained a degree in Syariah from Universiti Malaya.

The seat fell vacant following the death of Datuk Mohd Hamdan Abdul Rahman of PAS on July 31.

Mohd Salleh contested the Sungai Dua state seat in Tasek Gelugor in the last general election but lost to Datuk Jasmin Mohamed of Barisan.

Permatang Pasir is one of three seats in the Permatang Pauh parliamentary constituency and the sole PAS state seat in Penang.

In the last general election, Mohd Hamdan secured 11,004 votes to defeat Barisan’s Ahmad Sahar Shuib by a 5,433-vote majority.

The Permatang Pasir constituency has 20,290 voters, including one postal voter, comprising Malay (72.36%), Chinese (25.85%), Indian (1.63%) and others (0.16%).

The by-election may see a three-cornered fight as motivational speaker Kamarul Ramizu Idris, 42, told reporters that he was interested in standing as an independent.