| Najib Not Spared From Opposition's Bid To Create Commotion |
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KUALA SELANGOR, April 28 (Bernama) -- Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak was not spared from the opposition party supporters' attempt to create a commotion in the highly-charged Ijok by-election.
The Deputy Prime Minister and his delegation, who were on their way to visit Barisan Nasional (BN) booths, were blocked by a group of men.
Expressing dismay over the incident, Najib said the men clad in Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) shirt and badge blocked his motorcade at a route leading to the Jaya Setia polling station at about 10.30am.
"This incident should not have happened if they respected the law and upheld democracy.
"Why should they block anyone from going to BN booths," said Najib who spearheaded the BN campaign during the nine-day campaign period in the highly-charged by-election for this semi-urban seat.
Najib, who was accompanied by Melaka Chief Minister Datuk Seri Mohd Ali Rustam and Umno youth deputy chief Khairy Jamaluddin, were held up for nearly 10 minutes before they relented and turned to another route to the polling station.
The men then hurled insults, jeered and shouted "Altantuya".
Najib said the men also placed flower pots in the middle of the road to prevent four cars carrying his officers, Umno Youth and Puteri Umno leaders from following his car.
Some of the men also sat atop the "trapped" cars, shouting "Altantuya" "Altantuya" referring to the murdered Mongolian woman Altantuya Shaariibuu whose body was blown into pieces at a dam in Puncak Niaga in October last year.
Before the tensed situation turned ugly, policemen intervened to disperse the men and to restore calm.
Seri Jasa Umno branch vice-head Shaaful Rashidi Md Rasip and a Puteri Umno member were injured after they were assaulted.
Describing the men as "thugs", Najib said they purposely wanted to create disturbance to mar the smooth conduct of the by-election.
"They tried to start a fight but we avoided it. We don't want fights, What's important to us is to win in this by-election," he said.
Najib said the commotion lasting 30 minutes should not have happened because the road he used was a public route which cannot be blocked to the whims.
"It's a public area. Both BN and PKR can use it," he said.
Asked on his assessment of the situation following his visits to polling stations, he said the overall situation was under control except in Jaya Setia.
He praised the discipline and high spirits displayed by BN supporters since polling started at 8am for this semi-urban ethnically-mixed seat.
"There were more BN election workers than the opposition at polling districts. Voting is going on smoothly and voter turnout might gain momentum in the evening," he said.
The Election Commission said about 33 per cent Ijokians have cast their ballot as of noon.
The Barisan Nasional (BN) and Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) are crossing swords in a straight fight for the predominantly Malay seat which fell vacant upon the death of BN assemblyman Datuk K. Sivalingam, 59, who died of a heart attack in Chennai, India, on April 4.
The choice for Ijokians is between two political unknowns -- BN's K. Parthiban, 38, a former teacher, and PKR's Tan Sri Abdul Khalid Ibrahim, 61, a former corporate figure. Both are first-time candidates.
Sivalingam retained the Malay-majority seat with a 1,649-vote majority in the last general election.
Results are expected by 8pm in the event of no recount.
-- BERNAMA
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