ISA SAMAD MAN OF THE HOUR: ANWAR WELCOMES GRAFT-TAINTED EX-UMNO MAN’S ENTRY INTO PD BY-ELECTION – EVEN AS AN ANGRY UMNO CONDEMNS THE VOTE-SPLITTING MOVE FOR FEAR IT MAY HIT THE PAS CANDIDATE MORE THAN ANWAR

KUALA LUMPUR, 6 Jun -- Pengerusi Felda Global Holding Berhad (FGV) Tan Sri Mohd Isa Abdul Samad semasa mengadakan sidang media mengenai isu Presiden Kumpulan dan Ketua Pegawai Eksekutif FGV Datuk Zakaria Arshad yang diarahkan bercuti bagi menjalankan siasatan salahlaku urusniaga melibatkan jutaan ringgit di Menara Felda hari ini. Selain Zakaria, Ketua Pegawai Kewangan Kumpulan Ahmad Tifli Mohd Talha, Pengurus Besar Kanan Delima Oil Products Kamarzaman Karim dan FGV Trading CEO Salman Omar juga digesa mengambil cuti susulan siasatan tersebut. --fotoBERNAMA (2017) HAK CIPTA TERPELIHARA

SEREMBAN: Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has welcomed the decision by former Negri Sembilan mentri besar Tan Sri Mohd Isa Samad to contest the Oct 13 Port Dickson by-election as an independent, saying he has every right to do so.

Anwar, who is contesting on the Pakatan Harapan ticket, said anyone was free to offer himself as a candidate in a democratic system.

“That is his right (to contest). I really don’t have much to say.

“Under a democratic system, the rakyat can decide what is best for them,” he said when met at the premier of Indian Tamil-language crime movie Chekka Chivantha Vaanam here on Thursday (Sept 27).

However, Anwar expressed hope that all aspirants would follow the relevant rules and regulations.

Anwar also reminded his allies in Pakatan not to use government machinery during the by-election.

Earlier on Thursday (Sept 27), Isa, who was state mentri besar for 22 years, announced his decision to contest.

The former Umno vice-president said he decided to contest as he was a “PD boy”.

“I decided to stand as an independent because the seat is vacant. The other reason is that Umno has decided against contesting,” he said.

Isa had previously served as Linggi assemblyman for five terms. He also won the Bagan Pinang state seat in a by-election in 2009.

Both seats are in the Port Dickson parliamentary constituency.

Isa, who is the former Jempol MP and former Teluk Kemang Umno chief, said he stood a good chance of winning as he had served the people there for a long time.

Apart from Anwar and Isa, Parti Rakyat Malaysia and PAS have also announced their decision to contest. Joining them is another independent, Stevie Chan.

Barisan Nasional is staying out of the by-election.

The Port Dickson seat became vacant after incumbent MP Danyal Balagobal Abdullah quit his seat on Sept 12 to make way for PKR president-elect Anwar to contest and pave the way for his return to Parliament.

Nomination day is set for Sept 29.  – THE STAR

RELATED STORY:  Isa Samad quits Umno to contest in Port Dickson 

ISA’S MEMBERSHIP AUTOMATICALLY CANCELLED IF HE BECOMES INDEPENDENT CANDIDATE, SAYS UMNO MAN

KUALA LUMPUR – The membership of the former Negri Sembilan Menteri Besar Tan Sri Mohd Isa Abdul Samad in Umno is automatically cancelled if he becomes an independent candidate and contest in the Port Dickson parliamentary by-election.

Umno supreme council member Datuk Mohd Sharkar Shamsudin said the matter was enshrined in the party’s constitution and applied to all members regardless of post.

“Any member who becomes an independent candidate, automatically loses his membership. It is already in the party’s constitution.

“We wish Tan Sri Isa good luck if he really wants to contest as an independent candidate in Port Dickson,” he told reporters at Menara Dato Onn tonight.

He said this when commenting on the decision of Mohd Isa who was reported to be contesting on an independent ticket in the parliamentary by-election.

― Bernama