Hulu Selangor by-election, 2010
Encyclopedia
The Hulu Selangor
parliamentary by-election, which has 68,000 registered voters was being held following the death of the representative from the PKR
, Datuk Dr Zainal Abidin Ahmad
on March 25 due to brain cancer. Previously Zainal won the Hulu Selangor seat at the 2008 general election with a slim majority of 198 votes, beating Barisan Nasional
and MIC's candidate G. Palanivel. The nomination of candidates was held on April 17, 2010 and the election was held on April 25, 2010. According to election watchdog Malaysians for Free and Fair Elections (Mafrel), a win for Barisan Nasional in Hulu Selangor by-election will bring forward the 13th general election to an earlier date. However, this was not the case as after several other by-elections in the country, all won by Barisan Nasional, there has not been any signs of the 13th General Election.
and its ties to 1Malaysia
, Prime Minister Najib
's relationship with the Obama
administration in the United States
. Barisan candidate P. Kamalanathan
's educational record was brought up by the opposition saying he had faked his Degree certificate in Communications with Edith Cowan University
and Olympia College and also issues of Kamalanathan being subservient to UMNO as seen in pictures of him kissing the hand of Deputy Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin
. Both candidates raised issues regarding the development of Hulu Selangor area, local employment and the issuance of land titles. The opposition has brought up the issue of the Election Commission relocating the voting stations for 13,000 voters in the Hulu Selangor constituency and moving some of the voters outside Hulu Selangor voting boundary. Opposition candidate Zaid had brought up issues about vote-buying during the election campaign, including government grants to Felda settlers and renovations to a Chinese school in the area.
Hulu Selangor
Hulu Selangor is a district in Selangor, Malaysia. It is located in the northeastern part of Selangor. It borders the state of Perak to the north, Pahang to the east, Sabak Bernam district to the east, Kuala Selangor district to its southwest and Gombak district to the south.The district's...
parliamentary by-election, which has 68,000 registered voters was being held following the death of the representative from the PKR
Parti Keadilan Rakyat
The People's Justice Party , often known simply as KeADILan) is a centrist political party in Malaysia formed in 2003 by a merger of the National Justice Party and the older Malaysian People's Party...
, Datuk Dr Zainal Abidin Ahmad
Zainal Abidin Ahmad (politician)
Datuk Zainal Abidin Ahmad was a Malaysian politician. He was the Member of the Parliament of Malaysia for the Hulu Selangor constituency in Selangor until his death in 2010...
on March 25 due to brain cancer. Previously Zainal won the Hulu Selangor seat at the 2008 general election with a slim majority of 198 votes, beating Barisan Nasional
Barisan Nasional
Barisan Nasional is a major political coalition in Malaysia, formed in 1973 as the successor to the Alliance . Along with its predecessor, it has been Malaysia's federal ruling political force since independence...
and MIC's candidate G. Palanivel. The nomination of candidates was held on April 17, 2010 and the election was held on April 25, 2010. According to election watchdog Malaysians for Free and Fair Elections (Mafrel), a win for Barisan Nasional in Hulu Selangor by-election will bring forward the 13th general election to an earlier date. However, this was not the case as after several other by-elections in the country, all won by Barisan Nasional, there has not been any signs of the 13th General Election.
Election issues
The government has brought up past issues such as Zaid's drinking of alcohol and his past involvement with UMNO. The opposition has brought up campaign issues such as APCO WorldwideAPCO Worldwide
APCO Worldwide is an independent communications consultancy. With more than 600 employees in 29 worldwide locations, it is the second largest independently-owned PR firm in the United States. Headquartered in Washington, D.C., APCO was founded in 1984 by Margery Kraus, who is now the firm’s global...
and its ties to 1Malaysia
1Malaysia
1Malaysia is an on-going programme designed by Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak on September 16, 2010, calling for the cabinet, government agencies, and civil servants to more strongly emphasize ethnic harmony, national unity, and efficient governance....
, Prime Minister Najib
Najib Tun Razak
Dato' Sri Haji Mohd Najib bin Tun Haji Abdul Razak is the sixth, and since 2009, Prime Minister of Malaysia. He previously held the post of Deputy Prime Minister from 7 January 2004 until he succeeded Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi as Prime Minister on 3 April 2009. Najib is President of the United...
's relationship with the Obama
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...
administration in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. Barisan candidate P. Kamalanathan
P. Kamalanathan
Kamalanathan s/o. P. Panchanathan , is the member-elect of the Parliament of Malaysia for the seat of Hulu Selangor in Selangor...
's educational record was brought up by the opposition saying he had faked his Degree certificate in Communications with Edith Cowan University
Edith Cowan University
Edith Cowan University is located in Perth, Western Australia. It was named after the first woman to be elected to an Australian Parliament, Edith Cowan, and is the only Australian university named after a woman....
and Olympia College and also issues of Kamalanathan being subservient to UMNO as seen in pictures of him kissing the hand of Deputy Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin
Muhyiddin Yassin
Tan Sri Muhyiddin bin Yassin is a Malaysian politician and the current Deputy Prime Minister and the Minister of Education. He is also the Deputy President of the United Malays National Organisation , the main component party of the ruling Barisan Nasional coalition.Muhyiddin grew up in the state...
. Both candidates raised issues regarding the development of Hulu Selangor area, local employment and the issuance of land titles. The opposition has brought up the issue of the Election Commission relocating the voting stations for 13,000 voters in the Hulu Selangor constituency and moving some of the voters outside Hulu Selangor voting boundary. Opposition candidate Zaid had brought up issues about vote-buying during the election campaign, including government grants to Felda settlers and renovations to a Chinese school in the area.
By-Election result
P Kamalanathan got 24,997 votes beating Datuk Zaid Ibrahim who got 23,272 votes. There were 731 spoilt votes, of the total of 48,935 votes cast during the by-election.| Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| Barisan Nasional Barisan Nasional Barisan Nasional is a major political coalition in Malaysia, formed in 1973 as the successor to the Alliance . Along with its predecessor, it has been Malaysia's federal ruling political force since independence... - MIC |
P. Kamalanathan P. Kamalanathan Kamalanathan s/o. P. Panchanathan , is the member-elect of the Parliament of Malaysia for the seat of Hulu Selangor in Selangor... |
24,997 | 52.2% |
| Pakatan Rakyat Pakatan Rakyat Pakatan Rakyat or PR is an informal Malaysian political coalition. It currently controls four state governments while in opposition to the ruling Barisan Nasional at the federal level.... - PKR Parti Keadilan Rakyat The People's Justice Party , often known simply as KeADILan) is a centrist political party in Malaysia formed in 2003 by a merger of the National Justice Party and the older Malaysian People's Party... |
Zaid Ibrahim Zaid Ibrahim Dato' Mohd Zaid Ibrahim is a prominent Malaysian lawyer turned politician and is a former Minister in the Prime Minister's Department in charge of legal affairs and judicial reform... |
23,272 | 48.6% |
| Majority | 1,725 | 3.6% | |
| Turnout | 47,845 | 76% | |