Barisan will contest Pelangai by-election, says Bentong Umno leader

KUANTAN: The Pelangai state seat will continue to be contested by an Umno candidate representing Barisan Nasional.

Bentong Umno deputy chief Datuk Seri Mohamad Zaini Salleh said Pelangai was the only seat in the Bentong parliamentary constituency that had always been contested by Umno.

A by-election is on the cards to fill the vacancy left by the late assemblyman Datuk Seri Johari Harun, who died in an Aug 17 plane crash near Shah Alam, Selangor.

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Johari, who represented Barisan, had won the Pelangai state seat with 7,308 votes, besting Perikatan Nasional’s Kasim Samad (3,260), Pakatan Harapan’s Ahmed Wafiuddin Shamsuri (2,031) and Isa Ahmad from Pejuang (65) in the 15th General Election.

Asked if the division had submitted the names of potential candidates, Mohamad Zaini said Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Wan Rosdy Wan Ismail would be holding a meeting soon to discuss this.

“We are not sure yet whether we are nominating directly or if the top leadership will make its pick,” he said.

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During the Pelangai vacancy notice handover on Monday (Aug 21), Pahang state assembly Speaker Datuk Seri Mohd Sharkar Shamsudin stated briefly that Pelangai was a Barisan seat and its unity government partner Pakatan Harapan would be supporting the former this time.

Election Commission secretary Datuk Ikmalrudin Ishak, in a statement, said a special meeting on Thursday (Aug 24) would discuss important dates for the state by-election, such as dates for issuance of writ of election, nomination of candidates, and polling, the electoral rolls to be used and other preparations for conducting the by-election.