PAS picks Dr Zulkefli for Galas The Malaysian Insider October 22, 2010
GUA MUSANG, Oct 22 — PAS picked Gua Musang acting chief Dr Zulkefli Mohamad as Pakatan Rakyat candidate for the November 4 Galas vote.
Dr Zulkefli was the Gua Musang parliamentary seat candidate in Election 2008, losing to Tengku Razaleigh, who has been appointed as the election director for this highly anticipated by-election, the 13th since the general election.
The announcement was made by Kelantan mentri besar Datuk Nik Aziz Nik Mat last night. Opposition Leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim was also present.
Nomination is slated for October 26. Both nomination and voting days are the same as for the Batu Sapi by-election in Sabah. The seat became vacant following the unfortunate death of PAS’s Che Hashim Sulaima from cancer on September 27. In Election 2008, Che Hashim beat BN’s Mohd Saufi Deraman by a margin of 646.
Medical doctor is PAS’ choice for Galas Malaysiakini Oct 22, 10
Medical doctor Dr Zulkefli Muhammad, who is also Gua Musang PAS division deputy chief, has been named as the PAS candidate for the upcoming Galas by-election.
Zulkefli was the PAS candidate who ran and lost against Umno veteran Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah for the Gua Musang parliamentary seat in the 2008 general elections.
The 44-year old Dr Zulkefli ia the seventh son of 10 siblings. Graduating from Universiti Malaya (UM) in 1992, he holds a degree in medicine and surgery.
He is said to be well known to locals for his services as a doctor, he is reportedly well regarded in party circles and is currently Gua Musang PAS acting-chief. PAS spiritual advisor Nik Aziz Nik Mat made the announcement at the Dataran Ilmu at close to midnight during a meet-the-people session held next to the Faiz Mosque in Gua Musang town.
Parliamentary opposition leader and de facto PKR leader Anwar Ibrahim and Nik Aziz spoke to the crowd prior to the announcement.
Although DAP supremo Lim Kit Siang was also supposed to join them, he was taken ill and did not attend. Lim was represented by Perak DAP chief Ngeh Khoo Ham
BN to announce candidate on Sunday
The state assembly seat fell vacant after PAS state assemblyperson Che Hashim Sulaima, who had been battling colon cancer, passed away late last month after a relapse.
Hashim won the Galas seat with a majority of 646 votes in the last general election, against incumbent Saufi Deraman of BN.
The state constituency has 10,330 voters consisting of 65.4 percent Malays, 22.3 percent Chinese and 1.8 percent Indians. Most of the remaining 10.5 percent are Orang Asli, who number around 2,000 in Galas.
Galas, one of three state seats under the Gua Musang parliamentary constituency – long held by Razaleigh – and is considered a BN stronghold.
It fell to PAS in the 2008 general elections, reportedly due to a swing in non-Malay votes.
Meanwhile, BN will be announcing its candidate for both the Galas and Batu Sapi by-elections on Sunday.
Razaleigh has agreed to spearhead the BN campaign in Galas, but has declined to be the candidate.