Tuesday August 5, 2008 MYT 5:52:27 PM
Permatang Pauh by-election will be costly: Syed Hamid
By SIM LEOI LEOI
PUTRAJAYA: The by-election in Permatang Pauh, which will see PKR adviser Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim contesting, will be a "costly affair".
Home Minister Datuk Seri Syed Hamid Albar said there were both "direct and indirect" costs involved in ensuring that the whole democratic process was run efficiently and peacefully.
"The by-election is too soon after the general election in March. If (former MP) Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail had said earlier that she was giving way to Anwar, then the voters may have decided differently then.
"People don't usually see the indirect costs. More policemen will need to be deployed to Permatang Pauh to ensure that the whole process is conducted smoothly and peacefully, and to ensure there is no untoward incident.
"This whole operation costs extra money," he told reporters Tuesday after the ministry's monthly assembly here.
He however declined to give the number of personnel expected to be deployed for the by-election or the cost involved.
"The size of the force will depend on the excitement and emotion on the ground," he said.
On suggestions by various Umno members and PAS for Barisan Nasional not to run against Anwar, Syed Hamid said this was for the coalition leadership to decide.
"Maybe PAS can offer one of their seats instead to Anwar. After all, they are in the Pakatan Rakyat family," he said.
On the Bar Council's plan to organise a forum on issues relating to conversion to Islam on Aug 9, Syed Hamid said he hoped the organisers would use their "wisdom" as the topic was a sensitive matter and bound to lead to misunderstandings.
"Holding such a forum should be avoided. They should not just think about their rights and trample over others.
"There are various processes and procedures to settle similar problems in our society and not just through open discussion.
"The bottomline of any discussion should be the resolution of problems but are the problems solved when debated in public? These should have been done quietly and in a civilised manner," he said, declining to say if the police would act against Bar Council should it proceed with the forum.
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