BN to skip Seri Setia by-election for PAS

SHAH ALAM: The Barisan Nasional (BN) has decided to skip the Seri Setia state by-election to allow fellow opposition party PAS to contest the seat.

BN deputy chairman Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan said yesterday it was BN's way of returning the favour for PAS having stayed away from the Sungai Kandis state by-election, polling for which is today.

“This could be the start of an understanding between the two parties as a new political strategy in the New Malaysia of today. BN will work hard all the same in the Seri Setia by-election … I myself will go down to the ground to help the PAS candidate,” he said at a press conference at the Kota Raja Umno Division office here.

The Seri Setia seat became vacant after the assemblyman, Prof Dr Shaharuddin Badaruddin of PKR, died of colon cancer on Thursday.

The by-election for Seri Setia is the third in Selangor since the general election in May. The first is for Sungai Kandis, polling for which is today. The Sungai Kandis assemblyman, Mat Shuhaimi Shafiei of PKR, died of lymphoma cancer on July 2.

The second by-election is for Balakong. The assemblyman, Ng Tien Chee of DAP, died in an accident on the Grand Saga Expressway on July 20 as he was driving from Kuala Lumpur to Kajang. Nomination for this byelection is on Aug 18 and polling on Sept 8.

The Election Commission is to meet next week to set the dates for the Seri Setia by-election. Bernama