Nibong Tebal PKR new chief Mansor Othman does not wish to see another re-election in his division, although his opponents are clamouring for another round of fresh polls.

This is after Nibong Tebal had a re-election on Sunday, where Mansor’s victory of 328 votes was disputed by his opponents - incumbent chief Maktar Shapee, who garnered a mere three votes, and a relatively unknown member, S Sanjeeviramah, who obtained 43 votes.

The division’s first polls was held on May 4 but the results, which saw a win for Mansor, were suspended - as with 16 other divisions nationwide - due to voting irregularities.

“Those who are asking for a re-election this time are asking for trouble,” Mansor, who is state PKR chief, told Malaysiakini , appearing frustrated over the whole process.

“Our members are already tired. Do you think they will come out to vote? It was a challenge to get them to do it (voting) a second time, and we are asking for a third one?” queried the Nibong Tebal MP.

The re-election was held at the Seri Ampangan Village Development and Security Committee community hall on Sunday but Maktar and his team were absent from the polling centre.

Maktar ( left ), who is Sungai Bakap assemblyperson, said he did not participate in the Sunday polls as the members were told to do so at short notice.

“The PKR election committee (JPP)  gave us very short notice about the re-election date. We want another date to be set,” Maktar, who is state legislative assembly deputy speaker, said when contacted.

“We also want the JPP to look into the complaints we lodged over the first polls held on May 4,” Maktar added.

Yesterday, Maktar’s supporters, led by former Nibong Tebal deputy chief Mohd Kamil Abu Bakar, held a press conference to back him, but denied that the team had “pulled out or boycotted” the division contest.

“We are not participating until a new date is set, and until our complaints about the earlier polls have been looked into,” he told reporters.

“We had earlier sent several letters to the JPP to propose dates for the re-election and venue but have not received a reply yet,” he lamented.

‘Still no reply to re-election date proposal’

“We had proposed June 22 as the re-election date and venue to be at Dewan Serbaguna Sungai Bakap, but still no reply,” he added.

“However, we heard that the opposing team (Mansor’s) had campaigned everywhere in Nibong Tebal to urge party members to come out to vote on June 22 at Dewan Sri Ampangan (a different place),” he quipped.

On June 17, Mohd Kamil and several others were ordered to go to party headquarters in Kuala Lumpur to provide information and re-submit their complaints to the JPP.

At the time, Mohd Kamil said the JPP’s schedule for fresh polls did not include  Nibong Tebal.

“However, on June 18 we received a call from JPP saying that the date for fresh polls has been fixed for June 22 at Dewan Seri Ampangan, and not at the multi-purpose hall as we suggested,” he added.

Mohd Kamil said the members only received an official notice from the JPP via email on June 20 that fresh polls were called on June 22.

However, Mohd Kamil said that Mansor seemed to have got the information earlier, perhaps due to his membership in the party’s political bureau.

“So we decided not to participate until we receive the outcome of our appeals and complaints to the JPP, plus proper notice when a re-election can be held. We propose the new date to be June 28,” he said.

“We urge all our members and supporters to be patient and wait,” Mohd Kamil added.

To this, Mansor denied he had information about the date and venue for the Sunday polls due to his privilege and status in the party’s political bureau.

“I was also given short notice like everyone held. Candidates cannot decide the date and venue for polls, how can these people propose and demand that JPP follow their suggestions?” he asked.

“Besides, the new date proposed by them is June 28, which may be the eve of the fasting month, who will turn up for a re-election?” he further queried.