Dr Mansor won but with 46.15% historic low turnout

Dr. Mansor Othman won Penanti by-election with 5,558 majority, a whopping 6,052 out of the total of 7,100 votes and all three independents lost their deposits.

Only 7,100 people cast their votes in what is a historic low turnout - only 46.15 %. In the March 2008 general election, 82.13 % of the registered voters cast their ballots. There were a total of 15,384 registered voters in the constituency.

Nai Khan Ari, an independent who received just 494 votes while Aminah Abdullah took 392 votes. The final turn out today was 7,100 voters.

The reduced interest in voting is most likely due to BN supporters not coming out to vote in the by-election as BN is not contesting.

Malaysia's first quarter GDP shrinks 6.2% but will improve in the third quarter

Bank Negara Malaysia Governor Tan Sri Dr Zeti Akhtar Aziz said, Malaysia is expected to see a significant improvement in the third quarter this year and a higher degree of positive growth in the fourth quarter that would continue into next year.

Tan Sri Dr Zeti Akhtar Aziz

The economic conditions are expected to improve in the second half of this year supported by fiscal stimulus measures and enhancing access to financing," said Dr Zeti.

Malaysia's first quarter gross domestic product this year contracted by 6.2 % from a growth of 0.1% in the fourth quarter last year but the prognosis for improved economic conditions look brighter in the second half of the year.

Tan Sri Dr Zeti Akhtar Aziz attributed the contraction to the significant deterioration in external demand following the deepening recession in advanced economies.

"Export demand continues to be weak and the environment is still challenging. Despite early signs of improvement, Q2 will be similar to Q1," she said.

The economy was expected to continue to contract in the second quarter, she said.

"However, economic conditions are expected to improve in the second half of this year supported by fiscal stimulus measures and enhancing access to financing," said Dr Zeti.

Husni: 2009 GDP growth to dip below -1%

The country’s economy is expected to contract below -1.0 % this year amid the current economic climate, Second Finance Minister Datuk Ahmad Husni Mohamad Hanadzlah said.

“I cannot tell you (the growth figure) but it will definitely be below -1.0 %,” he said when asked to comment on the projection by economists that the gross domestic product (GDP) will contract between -4.5 % and -5.0 % this year. Bank Negara Malaysia’s GDP forecast for the year is between -1.0 % and %.

Bank Negara will make an announcement on the first quarter GDP tomorrow.

“Wait for Bank Negara’s announcement tomorrow. Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak will make another announcement the next day on the new forecast growth for 2009 and we will then know the position of the country’s economy,” he said.

Husni, however said that the economy would recover in the third quarter of this year, as the impact of the recent RM67 billion economic stimulus package begins to take effect.

As for 2010, he said the government believes growth would be positive. Asked as to whether there would be more liberalization measures in the near future, Husni said that the government is currently working on the development of new economic model for the country.

“The economic model is in the planning stage,” he said, adding that the government would study which areas should be further liberalized. He said that the key thrust of the new model is the quality of investment and the people.

“Eventually, we will be opening up because we are part of the global system but the process of the liberalization takes time,” he added.

Dr Mansor taking 3 independents in Penanti

Parti KeAdilan Rakyat's (PKR) Dr Mansor Othman is taking on three independents in the Penanti by-election this May 31 after one was disqualified.


The Bukit Selambau by-election created history as having the most number of candidates, totaling 15 altogether. The other 13 contested as independent candidates. In Penanti, it’s a four corner fight.

The interesting questions arise: How do you make a small fortune out of politics? How to make money in politics or otherwise? Is the lack of understanding of politics that causes a numbers of the independents to contest?

Mansor, 59, Aminah Abdullah, 56, Mohd Saberi Othman, 49, Nai Khan Ari, 41, and Kamarul Ramizu Idris, 42, filed their nomination papers at the Institut Kemahiran Belia Negara.

The Barisan Nasional has opted out of the by-election in Penanti, within PKR de facto leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim's Permatang Pauh political fortress, calling it an abuse of the electoral process.

Returning officer Roslan Yahaya declared all eligible except for Saberi after the objection period ended at 11am. There were six objections against him. Roslan did not disclose the reason why Saberi was disqualified.

Mansor had contested the Balik Pulau parliamentary seat against Datuk Mohd Zain Omar of BN in 1999, the Seberang Jaya state seat against Datuk Arif Shah Omar Shah of BN in 2004 and the Pulau Betong state seat against Mohd Farid Saad of BN in 2008.

Aminah, a former state PKR Wanita chief, and Nai, a factory manager, this is her first electoral debut while businessman Kamarul Ramizu had contested as an independent candidate in the recent Bukit Gantang parliamentary by-election in Perak.