NIK OMAR SPRINGS SURPRISE
Nomination day in Kelantan also saw PKR candidates dropping the ball
THERE was a surprise for everyone on the nomination day in Kelantan, when the son of former menteri besar Datuk Nik Aziz Nik Mat turned up at the last minute to contest the Chempaka state seat under the PKR ticket.
It was no secret that the opposition pact had been trying to lure the son of the most respected Pas leader from the party’s fold.
Nik Omar Nik Aziz had earlier said he would not contest under any party as his mother refused to give him her blessings.
The 53-year-old’s candidacy left Pas with no other choice but to sack him from the party.
On a relatively quiet nomination day, the only other news which came as a surprise was the rejection of PKR candidates’ application to contest Kuala Balah and Tawang state seats.
Dr Hafidz Rizal Amran, PKR’s choice for Kuala Balah, was rejected because of bankruptcy issues, while Mohd Azihan Che Seman was rejected because he did not change the address on his MyKad to one in Kelantan. When Azihan turned up at the nomination centre, it was found that his MyKad still listed an address in Kuala Lumpur.
The rejections will see Barisan Nasional and Pas battle it out in straight fights in both constituencies.
Elsewhere in the state, the Kota Lama state seat will see a fivecornered fight featuring BN, Pas, PKR, Parti Sosialis Malaysia (PSM) and an independent candidate.
There will be four-cornered fights in a parliamentary and six state seats, while three-cornered battles will take place in 13 parliamentary and 36 state seats.
Two sets of siblings in opposing parties will contest in Kuala Krai. PKR’s Dr Mohd Yazid Abdullah and his younger brother, Mohd Fauzi (Pas), are standing in the Kuala Krai parliamentary and Manek Urai state seats, respectively.
PKR’s Wan Mohamad Azlan Ahmad will contest the Mengkebang state seat, while his elder brother, Abd Aziz, will stand as an independent candidate in the Guchil state seat.
Among the big names contesting in Kelantan are Pas deputy president Datuk Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man (the Kubang Kerian parliamentary seat) and Perkasa president Datuk Dr Ibrahim Ali, who is standing as an independent candidate in Pasir Mas parliamentary and Tendong state seats.
There are seven independent candidates contesting the 14th General Election in the state, including Izat Bukhari Ismail Bukhari, who, at 51, has lost four times in the previous general election and three by-elections in the state and in Kuala Kangsar.
PKR’s candidate, Nik Azmi Nik Othman, 62, who will contest the Kijang state seat, found out that he was being nominated at 7.30pm the previous night, as the person who was supposed to be nominated was being investigated by police for outrage of modesty.
In the heat of the nomination process, two men, including Parti Amanah Negara vice-president Datuk Husam Musa’s son, were detained by police for flying a drone over the nomination centre in Dewan Jubli Perak near Bazar Tok Guru.
Kota Baru police chief Assistant Commissioner Ismail Mat Sidik said the duo, aged 19 and 26, had been detained to facilitate investigations.