Kedah PN candidates declaration ceremony postponed to Wednesday

ALOR SETAR - Kedah Perikatan Nasional (PN) candidates declaration ceremony, which was scheduled to take place on Friday, has been postponed to Wednesday.

Kedah PN secretary Musodak Ahmad said that the central and Kedah PN councils decided on the postponement in a meeting yesterday.

He said that the change in the date has nothing to do with the allegation that there was a change in Pas candidates at the last minute following the prosecution of caretaker Kedah Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Muhammad Sanusi Md Nor on Tuesday.

"The candidates declaration ceremony scheduled for Friday (July 21) has been postponed to Wednesday (July 26) by the order of central and Kedah PN councils meeting.

"It aims to make it easier for the coalition leaders to campaign in each state.

"Central PN asked to coordinate the candidates declaration in the six states and even though Kedah is ready, we respect the decision of central PN," he said when contacted today.

Musodak said that Kedah, Penang and Negeri Sembilan are scheduled to hold simultaneous candidates declaration ceremonies on Wednesday while Kelantan, Terengganu and Selangor are scheduled to hold on Thursday.

"For Kedah, the ceremony will be held starting at 8pm at Kedah Pas Complex. This change is subject to the order of central PN leaders and has nothing to do with the issue of changing Pas candidates," he said.

The Election Commission (EC) set July 29 for the state polls nomination and Aug 12 for voting.

On Wednesday, Pas deputy president Datuk Seri Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man denied the decision to postpone PN state election candidates declaration was due to Sanusi's case.

He was reported to have said that the decision was made by PN supreme council before the PN electoral director general was arrested on Tuesday morning.

Pas Syura Ulama Council meeting also decided that Sanusi should be retained as a state polls candidate as he has not been disqualified to contest in the meeting held yesterday.

On Tuesday, Sanusi was charged in the Sessions Court and Selayang Magistrate's Court on two charges of sedition.

He was accused under Section 4(1)(A) of the Sedition Act of uttering inflammatory words regarding the appointment of Selangor Menteri Besar and the establishment of the Unity Government in a political talk last week.

The leader was also accused of committing acts that had a seditious element by uttering words that allegedly promoted disloyalty towards the royal.