PUTRAJAYA: The Election Commission (EC) has set Nov 4 as polling day for the Batu Sapi parliamentary seat, while nomination is on Oct 26, EC's deputy chairman Wan Ahmad Wan Omar announced here today. The dates are the same as for the Galas state seat by-election in Kelantan.
The Batu Sapi seat fell vacant following the death of its incumbent member of parliament Edmund Chong Ket Wah, 54, in a road accident along Jalan Sembulan-Tanjung Aru, Sabah on Oct 9.
Chong, the Parti Bersatu Sabah (PBS) treasurer, won the Batu Sapi parliamentary seat at the 2008 general election beating independent candidate Chung Kwong Wing by a majority of 3,708 votes. Chong had garnered 9,479 votes.
Chong's death triggered the 13th by-election for the country since the March 2008 general election.
The seat has 25,582 registered voters, including 1,575 postal votes.
The Galas seat fell vacant following the death of its PAS rep Che Hashim Sulaima on Sept 27. BN/Umno is expected to face PAS in a straight fight here.
Batu Sapi, which will see the nation's 13th by-election since the 2008 general election, is expected to pit BN against PKR.
Anggota Polis dan orang awam mengangkat mayat Ahli Palimen Batu Sapi, Datuk Edmund Chong Ket Wah yang maut selepas motosikal besar yang ditunggangi berlanggar dengan sebuah kereta di Sembulan, dekat Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, 9 Okt. - Utusan/GHAZALI BASRI
Wakil rakyat BN Sabah Edmund Chong Ket Wah yang dilaporkan baru sahaja meninggal dunia pernah meminta untuk diadakan Kasino di Negeri Sabah. Beliau yang terbunuh di dalam kemalangan jalanraya itu meminta kerajaan menimbang untuk mengadakan Kasino di Negeri Sabah memandangkan keadaan cuaca yang hampir sama di antara Genting Highland dan kawasan yang dicadangkan olehnya iaitu di Kundasang Sabah.
Di dalam laporan akhbar berbahasa inggeris, Mendiang juga mengesa Perdana Menteri, Datuk Najib Tun Razak agar berfikiran terbuka bagi merealisasikan cadangannya untuk mengadakan Kasino bertujuan untuk menarik pelancong asing datang melawat Negeri Sabah.
Kota Kinabalu: Parti Bersatu Sabah has urged the Prime Minister to consider approving a casino licence for Sabah, to further boost the State's tourism.
Its Batu Sapi MP, Datuk Edmund Chong Ket Wah, said the existing law like that applied at Genting Highlands can be applied for the casino in Sabah.
"Kundasang in Sabah has the same climate and environment like Genting.
In Sabah now there are 44 jackpot licences and 425 jackpot machinesÉif all these 425 jackpot machines are placed in one building, it is already a casino," he said. Edmund, who fully supported the proposed introduction of sports betting, believed opening a casino in Kundasang would also improve the local economy.
"If not for the casino in Genting, there will be no indoor and outdoor theme parks, no Arena of Stars for international stars and shows.
There will not be thousands of rooms up there and no millions of people going there and no millions of ringgits being earned," he explained.
He hoped Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak would be open-minded and far-sighted enough to consider it before Singapore decides on building more casinos on the island republic. Read more at DailyExpress