TAPAH: Barisan Nasional has moved the date to announce its candidate for the Ayer Kuning by-election to April 7, says Perak coalition chairman Datuk Seri Saarani Mohamad.
He said the announcement would be made by Barisan Nasional chairman and Umno president Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi at Kampung Haji Tahir in Temoh.
Saarani said the date was rescheduled from the initial April 5 as the national-level Hari Raya Aidilfitri celebration to be held in Melaka is expected to be on the same day.
“We expect everyone (leaders) will be at the event.
“We also take into account that people will return home after a week of festivities the next day (April 6), so the highway will likely see high traffic volume.
“We will make an announcement on April 7 in conjunction with the Tapah parliamentary constituency Aidilfitri celebration,” he said after launching the Perak Orang Asli cooperative movement programme, Bernama reported.
The Election Commission (EC) has set the polling day for the Ayer Kuning by-election on April 26, with the nomination of candidates and early voting on April 12 and 22 respectively.
The by-election needs to be held following the death of its assemblyman Ishsam Shahruddin, 58, on Feb 22 due to a heart attack after participating in a football tournament in Penang.
Responding to Parti Socialist Malaysia’s (PSM) announcement that it will be contesting in Ayer Kuning, Saarani said Barisan has no issues facing candidates from other coalitions or parties in polls, nor is it concerned with multi-cornered contests.
Earlier, PSM deputy chairman S. Arutchelvan said that the party’s central committee has decided to support Perak PSM in their bid to contest for the seat in the by-election.
The party will announce its candidate on April 8.
In the 2022 General Election, Ishsam polled 9,088 votes and won by a 2,213 majority, defeating Amanah’s Mohd Nazri Hashim, Muhammad Noor Farid of PAS, KS Bawani from PSM and Pejuang’s Maziah Salim.
