Elections escapades

It's all about the hope. From The Star: Grandma, 89, steals the show:

The divorced grandmother, possibly the oldest ever candidate in the elections, was announced as an independent candidate for Kuala Terengganu.

It was her fifth effort to qualify for candidacy. She said that she failed in her last four attempts due to technicalities and lack of documentation.

Many were initially sceptical of her intent at the nomination centre at Kompleks Seri
Iman here, but when returning officer Datuk Mat Razali Kassim officially stamped her candidacy, amusement filled the room.

The odds are stacked against her, as she will be up against seasoned politicians like PAS vice-president Mohamad Sabu and Barisan Nasional’s Datuk Razali Ismail.

Both politicians, however, took time to chat with Maimun, who appeared frail but zesty.

Even Barisan candidate for Batu Burok Nordiana Shafie wished the Kampung Pengadang Akar resident, who runs a kain songket business, well for the March 8 polls.

Maimun told newsmen that she did not mind raising RM10,000 to register as a candidate, and the RM5,000 as campaign deposit.

Speaking in a heavy Terengganu accent, she said it was money well spent “because I can talk and want to talk to the people.”

“I want to right the wrongs and bring down the prices of necessities,” she added.

She was also accompanied by her close friends Sinah Ali, 67, and Semah Said, 53, who acted as seconder and proposer respectively.

She will be using her own party name – Party Tanah Melayu Beragama Islam – to contest.

I think it's admirable that she still believes in a pure democracy, and the issues winning the votes. Power to the people!

From The Star: Kurup: I was punched:

KOTA KINABALU: A moment’s joy turned to pain for Parti Bersatu Rakyat Sabah president Tan Sri Joseph Kurup.

He was walking out of the Nabawan community hall after being declared winner of the Pensiangan parliamentary seat when someone punched him in the face.

“I was shaking hands with my supporters when this man jumped at me and I felt something hit me in the face and it became chaotic after that.

“I have an idea who he is. I feel saddened because it is not our culture to resort to violence,” he said after lodging a police report.

Kurup said he remained in high spirits despite the incident and was ready to serve his Pensiangan constituents.

The announcement that Kurup won the seat uncontested came at 5pm.

Election Commission director Md Idrus Ismail said the late confirmation was because
returning officer Bubudan O.T. Majalu had faxed in the names of three candidates for Pensiangan to the EC's headquarters here.

He said the commission thus assumed that there was a contest in Pensiangan among Kurup, Danny Anthony Andipai of Parti Keadilan Rakyat and Independent Saineh Usau.

However, upon checking, EC officials discovered that the returning officer had rejected the other candidates because they arrived late.

The two rejected candidates later lodged police reports that they were “blocked” from going to the centre.

Sabah Barisan Nasional is on track towards a clean sweep after bagging two parliamentary and one state seats on nomination day.

Nice. Democracy in action.