PAS Unit Amal members had formed a human wall in an attempt to stop  PKR’s Sungai Acheh candidate Badrul Hisham Shaharin from handing in his nomination form last Saturday, according to election watchdog Pemantau.

NONE "When this tactic did not work, (they) resorted to physically assaulting him," claimed committee member Maria Chin Abdullah ( left ) at a press conference today.

She said the incident was a breach of Badrul Hisham's right to participate in politics, as well as an issue of personal safety.

Badrul Hisham, better known as Chegubard, was in a three-corner fight with PAS candidate Yusni Mat Piah and the Umno incumbent Mahmud Zakaria for the state seat.

The leaders of PKR and PAS yesterday agreed to allow PKR to stand in Sungai Acheh in a deal to solve overlapping claims to seven seats across the country.

Yusni announced this afternoon that he has withdrawn from the contest, although his name will remain on the ballot paper.

Targets of violence and intimidation

Maria also claimed Pemantau's observers were also targets of violence and intimidation on nomination day.

In Kapar, one Pemantau volunteer was hit by a water bottle thrown at him by BN supporters.

Another volunteer there had to leave the vicinity of the nomination centre under police escort, after the supporters purportedly threatened them by saying that their safety could not be guaranteed.

In Lembah Pantai, BN supporters were said to have accused Pemantau volunteers of forging ‘Pemerhati' identification tags of election observers accredited by the Election Commission, although they were wearing Pemantau's own yellow identification tags at the time.

In both nomination centres, BN supporters had reportedly made Pemantau observers to remove their Bersih T-shirts.

NONE Meanwhile in Marang, Pemantau volunteers have recovered pamphlets purportedly distributed at the Umno Marang building prior to the nomination period.

The phamplets accuse Pemantau of plotting to disrupt the election and show the resulting chaos to the world via social media.

"We stress that Pemerhati and Pemantau are different entities, with different roles to play.

"Pemantau is cognisant of its complementary role as non-accredited observers and does not seek to supplant Pemerhati," she said.

The group also made issue of the use of barbed wire in Gelang Patah and Kuala Selangor, pointing out that the Human Rights Commission (Suhakam) had also questioned the suitability of using barbed wire in areas where large crowds are expected.

"In peacetime, this is excessive," she said.

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