PAS state commissioner Mohd Salleh Man will square it off with the youthful Rohaizat Othman from Umno in this month's Permatang Pasir by-election.

NONE PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang announced Mohd Salleh ( right ) as Pakatan Rakyat candidate at a village rally at PAS by-election operation centre in the state constituency at about 11pm.

The candidature of Mohd Salleh,52, is not a surprise given that he was a seasoned politician and the state commissioner.

Over the past week his name has been mentioned virtually by every PAS local leader as the highly likely candidate.

On Wednesday, Malaysiakini forecast Mohd Salleh as the favourite to become PAS candidate for the contest.

NONE Earlier at nearby Bukit Merah, Barisan Nasional deputy chairperson and Umno deputy president Muhyiddin Yassin has announced Rohaizat's ( left ) candidacy as BN candidate.

A graduate from Universiti Malaya, Mohd Salleh is self employed, previously having worked as a private school manager, a mosque official and an independent religious preacher.

Even before Hadi's announcement, the signal was clear that Mohd Salleh was the candidate.

A big banner displayed at the PAS by-election operation centre pictured the candidate alongside Hadi and the party much-revered spiritual leader and Kelantan Menteri Besar Nik Aziz Nik Mat.

Hadi explained that Mohd Salleh was chosen because of his religious background, good self-esteem and virtues, and academic qualifications.

"Shall all PAS and Pakatan leaders and supporters back Mohd Salleh to victory," he said.

BN-created problems

Earlier in his speech, he said that despite having different ideologies, struggles, religious and cultural backgrounds, Pakatan Rakyat component parties were firmly united due to close working ties and relationship amongst leaders and grassroots members.

"The so-called problems and differences that exist in Pakatan are virtually creations of Barisan Nasional and its controlled mainstream media," Hadi told some 1,000-odd crowd.

NONE Earlier in his speech, DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng refuted claims by Barisan Nasional, particularly Umno, that DAP leaders have insulted Islam.

He said that DAP leaders never had insulted Islam or any other religions.

The Penang Chief Minister also chided BN not to indulge in money politics and dirty tactics by wooing voters with promises of allocation and development.

The Permatang Pasir seat in Penang became vacant when three-term PAS assemblyperson Mohd Hamdan Abdul Rahman died of an illness on July 31.

The Election Commission has set Aug 17 for nominations and Aug 25 for polling.

Permatang Pasir - one of three state seats in the Permatang Pauh parliamentary constituency - is the sole PAS seat in Penang.

Hamdan won it with a majority of 5,433 votes last year, beating Umno's Ahmad Sahar Shuib.

PAS stronghold

NONE In the 2008 general election, PAS won in all nine polling stations in the constituency comprising Sama Gagah, Permatang Ara, Permatang Pauh, Bukit Indera Muda, Kampung Pelet, Kubang Semang, Tanah Liat, Cross Street and Permatang Tengah.

Of the constituency's 39 streams, PAS only lost in two - Permatang Ara by seven votes and Bukit Indera Muda by 15 votes.

In the Permatang Pauh by-election Aug last year, Seberang Jaya assemblyperson Arif Shah Omar Shah of Umno lost to PKR de facto leader Anwar Ibrahim by a majority 15,671.

NONE Arif Shah had garnered slightly more than 4,000 votes in Permatang Pasir, which was lower than Ahmad Sahar's tally.

The constituency has 20,290 voters and one postal vote, with 72.36 percent of the electorate being Malays, 25.85 percent Chinese, 1.63 percent Indians and 0.16 percent others. It has 300 new voters.

In his speech, PAS leader Mohamad Sabu expressed hope that Mohd Salleh would win by bigger majority than the 5,433 votes secured by Hamdan in 2008.

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