Batu Sapi by-election on Nov 4

Batu Sapi by-election on Nov 4

UPDATED @ 02:13:44 PM 15-10-2010By Asrul Hadi Abdullah SaniOctober 15, 2010
PUTRAJAYA, Oct 15 — Sabah’s Batu Sapi parliamentary by-election is set for November 4, on the same day as Kelantan’s Galas vote.

They’ll also share nomination day — October 26.

The date of the 13th by-election since Election 2008 was announced by Chairman of the Election Commission (EC) Tan Sri Abdul Aziz Mohd Yusof today.

Abdul Aziz explained that the decision saves time and money.

“The two by-elections are held simultaneously because the law allows it. We also have had experience in holding three different by-elections at the same time, Bukit Gantang, Bukit Selembau and Batang Ai.

“We also discussed at large that if we held the two by-elections together then the period will be shortened so it will save time, costs and lessen the tension. I also feel that the dates mentioned are sufficient for all parties to prepare for the election,” he told reporters here.

The EC will set up 12 polling stations — all schools except for a library — broken down further to 45 polling streams.

“The electoral roll has 25,582 registered voters which comprises 24,047 ordinary voters and 1,535 postal voters,” Abdul Aziz said of the updated roll as of October 9 2010.

The EC has also appointed a returning officer and four assistant officers to run the by-election.

“The EC appoints Muhamad Hamsan Awang Supain as the returning officer. He is the secretary of Sandakan Muncipal council,” he said.

The two by-elections are expected to cost RM2.6 million — equally shared.

Abdul Aziz is convinced of a high turnout for the polls — above 80 per cent — despite being on a Thursday.

The Batu Sapi by-election was triggered by the death of two-term lawmaker Datuk Edmund Chong Ket Wah in an accident in Kota Kinabalu last week.

Chong, 54, was riding a Kawasaki 750 bike along the Sembulan-Tanjung Aru road when he was involved in a crash with an oncoming Mercedez Benz car at about 11.40am.

Batu Sapi is a new seat that was created following a re-delineation exercise and was first contested in 2004.

It is also divided into two state seats, Sekong and Karamunting.

The racial breakdown of Sekong voters is as follows: 2,366 Chinese (21 per cent), 6,031 Sabah bumiputeras (53 per cent), 2,167 Malay (19 per cent), 676 others (6 per cent), 41 Sarawak bumiputeras (0.36 per cent), 37 Indian (0.33 per cent) and three Orang Asli (0.03 per cent).

In Karamunting, the breakdown is the following: 9,546 Chinese (37 per cent, 9,565 Sabah bumiputeras (37 per cent, 5,000 Malays (20 per cent), 1,213 Others (5 per cent), 92 Indians (0.36 per cent), 158 Sarawak bumiputeras (0.62 per cent) and eight Orang Asli (0.03 per cent).

Chong, from Parti Bersatu Sabah (PBS), won the seat uncontested in that year and successfully saw off independent challenger Chung Kwong Win by a margin of 3,708 votes in Election 2008.