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Monday, February 9, 2009

By-election in Bkt Selambau as Arumugam quits

A big blow to Pakatan Rakyat again as Kedah Menteri Besar Azizan Abdul Razak confirmed that Bukit Selambau assemblyman V. Arumugam tonight quit both his Kedah executive council post and state seat.

V. Arumugam

Azizan said that the 55-year-old Arumugam had sent the resignation letter to the Kedah Sultan, adding that the Menteri Besar has been informed of the quit decision by Arumugam's aide.

"Arumugam told him that he was relinquishing the post due to personal reasons and that it has nothing to do with the Pas leadership," said Azizan.

It was reported that Arumugam apparently took a second wife through a Hindu customary marriage leading his wife to accuse him of bigamy. It was learnt that he complained that government machinery was being used against him.

He won in Election 2008 as an independent candidate and joined the Pas-lead Kedah government after being assured of an executive council post. He was in charge of domestic trade, Siamese and Indian affairs in the Pakatan Rakyat government, which has 22 seats in the 36-seat assembly.

Arumugam resigned as a trainer at the RMAF college in Alor Star to contest in the elections, getting 13,225 votes against MIC’s S. Krishnan’s 10,863 votes.

By-elections will be called within 60 days according to the election law.

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