Dr Mansor Othman is PKR’s man for Penanti By-Election
www.malaysiakini.com
April 28, 2009
Mansor is PKR candidate for Penanti
by Athi Veeranggan
Former academician and PKR state deputy leader 58-year-old Mansor Othman will be the party candidate for the Penanti by-election next month. This was announced by PKR de facto leader Anwar Ibrahim to a crowd of more than 1,000 people packed into Yayasan Aman, Penanti tonight.
Among Pakatan Rakyat leaders present were Penang Chief Minister and DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng, PKR national president Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail, state PKR chief and Bayan Baru parliamentarian MP Zahrain Mohd Hashim, state DAP chairperson and state executive councillor Chow Kon Yeow and former deputy chief minister Mohammad Fairus Khairuddin.
Since the seat fell vacant after its incumbent representative Mohammad Fairus Khairuddin resigned on April 16, speculations were rife that Mansor was PKR supremo Anwar’s pick for the contest.
Mansor, a former professor from Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM), was Anwar’s political secretary when the parliamentary opposition leader was the deputy prime minister in the Barisan Nasional government. “He earned a Masters degree from USM and a Masters in Arts and a Masters in Philosophy in Yale University,” said Anwar in introducing Mansor to party supporters. Mansor, who is PKR Balik Pulau division chief, is also the party’s Penang deputy chief.
“He has served in PKR’s supreme council for 10 years and also served as the national deputy director of elections. In addition, he has served me honourably and with distinction as political secretary to the deputy prime minister from 1996 to 1998,” added Anwar.
The Penanti by-election was called by the Election Commission when Fairus resigned as the elected representative.
Polling day will be Sunday, May 31.
Earlier on April 8, he resigned as deputy chief minister 1 and executive councillor after he was embroiled in a graft allegation linking him to quarry operations on Penang’s mainland. He has since been cleared by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) from all allegations.
Last weekend, Fairus reiterated his stand to resign from Penanti, prompting the EC to call for a by-election. Polls will be on Sunday, May 31 and nomination falls on Saturday, May 23. The “Fairus” lesson has prompted Anwar to pick “a politically-strong Penang-based party senior leader” to contest Penanti.
Mansor is a highly-respected figure within PKR circle and could not be bullied by rivals as in the case of Mohammad Fairus, who was young, inexperienced and lacked political maturity. Apparently Anwar needs Dr Mansor to put order in the state PKR, which currently is being hit by factionalism.
Anwar has earlier hinted that the PKR candidate for the Penanti by-election will be the highly likely nominee for vacant deputy chief minister and exco positions in the Pakatan Rakyat Penang government. The posts, which included one of the two chief ministers positions, are part of PKR’s quota in the DAP-led state government.
Anwar said the by-election was unavoidable because PKR had to choose a capable leader who can work closely with the chief minister and contribute efficiently to the state administration. The PKR leader’s stand dashes any lingering hopes harboured by current state executive councillor and Batu Maung assemblyperson Abdul Malik Abdul Kassim to succeed Fairus. However, Mansor has a black mark in his CV, a history of losing streaks in general elections.
Hopes to end unwanted record
Mansor lost to Zain Omar in the Balik Pulau parliamentary duel in 1999, to Ariff Shah Omar Shah in Seberang Jaya state seat contest in 2004 and to Muhammad Farid Saad by 294 in Pulau Betong state constituency. He hopes to end the unwanted record and stripped off his loser’s tag with a win in the Penanti by-election.
On paper, PKR looks favourite to retain the seat. Even the UMNO leadership recently hinted the party may not field a candidate. Penanti comes under Anwar’s Permatang Pauh parliamentary constituency – a PKR stronghold. In the Permatang Pauh by-election last August, Penanti voters gave Anwar a thumping majority of 3,276.
PKR’s Abdul Rahman Abdul Kadir won the state seat in 1999 before losing it to Permatang Pauh UMNO chief Abdul Jalil Abdul Majid in 2004. He in turn lost to Mohammad Fairus last year. First-timer Mohammad Fairus took the seat with a majority of 2,219. He polled 7,346 votes against Abdul Jalil’s 5,127.
“Even though it is in Permatang Pauh, our stronghold, we shall not be complacent, arrogant and take things for granted. We must work harder to achieve a big win,” said the PKR leader. Anwar also called on Lim to consider Mansor, if he wins Penanti, as PKR nominee for the DCM post.
Mansor, a former university student leader, could have been Anwar’s original choice to be the state DCM 1. But it did not materialise due to his electoral defeat in Pulau Betong. Penanti will be the sixth by-election since the March 8 general election, five of which were snatched by Pakatan Rakyat.
Lim earlier reaffirmed DAP’s commitment to ensuring a PKR’s victory in the by-election and called on Penanti voters to teach another lesson yet again to UMNO and Barisan Nasional. Zahrain reminded party supporters to protect the pride of the party and Anwar, and ensure victory as Penanti comes under the “PKR political bastion”. And Mansor has said he is up to the challenge.
“Anwar has earlier hinted that the PKR candidate for the Penanti by-election will be the highly likely nominee for vacant deputy chief minister and exco positions in the Pakatan Rakyat Penang government. The posts, which included one of the two chief ministers positions, are part of PKR’s quota in the DAP-led state government.”
This is the same old formula used by UMNO-BN which is said to have failed those who pioneered the idea of inter-communal electoral alliance. For as long as seats are being filled on the basis of race and progress seen on the basis of racial quotas and how these are filled, we are back to “same old, same old”.
Despite all the rhetoric and all that the coalition partners have been saying they stand for, the sad truth is PKR-PR has all the makings of yet another UMNO-BN. The fact remains that PR consists today of parties which have yet to solve their incompatible ideologies so as to allow it to merge as one party. Despite its rhetoric DAP remains essentially the party it was in 1969 and though the views of its pioneers have mellowed over the years, their views becoming less radical, the new generation of leaders more educated and younger would have also gone through a period of such prolonged racial polarization that they will not be so easily convinced of the “new form of politics” as advocated by their Malay partners from PKR. Like their coalition partners, they will not be able to rake race out of the equation.
Mr Bean - April 29, 2009 at 8:15 pm
New Yorker Bean,
You say “PKR-PR has all the makings of yet another UMNO-BN”. Not true. March 8, 2008 political tsunami and subsequent by-elections prove that PKR-PR is not a clone of the ruling coalition. It has its own vision–”Harapan Baru Untuk Malaysia”. Underpinning this vision is good governance and justice for all. We think this is fundamental, if Malaysia is to compete regionally and in the global economy. Up our productivity, eliminate corruption and abuse of power and be transparent, accountable and competent and down with UMNO-BN style politics, corruption and cronyism, and mediocrity.
PKR- PR will be rake race out of the political equation since Malaysians are ready for a fresh approach to politics and economic management. After all, after 51 years of doing the same old thing, change is inevitable in a maturing and better educated society. We can no longer afford racial polarisation. BTW PKR is a multiracial party and is unlike UMNO, MCA and MIC.—Din Merican
dinobeano - April 30, 2009 at 1:59 pm
“The proof of the pudding is in the eating.” How is the taste so far Bean?
That will answer your doubt.
tean - April 30, 2009 at 3:36 pm
“PKR- PR will be rake race out of the political equation since Malaysians are ready for a fresh approach to politics and economic management.” Din Merican
There are two parts or limbs here. Unfortunately the answer to the first is dependent on the state of the second.
Most of us cannot disagree about the need to take race out of the political equation. Except for vested interests and bigots. To the first, race is a tool i.e. a means to an end. To the second, it is both a means and an end.
Many of us are closet or quiet racists. This is where the problem is – and here’s the problem. Those who claim to lead can only be as good as those they lead. They are not leaders in the real sense of the word. I leave it to you to fill up the blanks.
But here’s the deal. I want Anwar Ibrahim to succeed.
Mr Bean - April 30, 2009 at 6:37 pm