1998 Arau by-election

Last updated
1998 Arau by-election
Flag of Malaysia.svg
  1995 4 July 1998 1999  

Arau seat in the Dewan Rakyat
  Hashim Jasin sedang duduk di kerusi.jpg
BN
Candidate Hashim Jasin Ismail Kassim
Party PAS BN (UMNO)
Popular vote12,86411,541
Percentage52.71%47.29%

Arau MP before election

Kamaruddin Ahmad
BN (UMNO)

Elected Arau MP

Hashim Jasin
PAS

The 1998 Arau by-election is a by-election for the Dewan Rakyat federal seat of Arau , Malaysia that were held on 4 July 1998. [1] It was called following the death of the incumbent, Kamaruddin Ahmad on 25 May 1998. [2]

Contents

Background

Kamaruddin Ahmad were elected to the Parliament of Malaysia federal seat of Arau at the 1995 Malaysian general election, winning the seat as a Barisan Nasional (BN) candidate. He also were a member of Perlis State Legislative Assembly for Sanglang from 1978 until 1986.

On 25 May 1998, Kamaruddin died at Kangar Hospital, after being rushed there by his wife following a stroke attack while he were playing badminton. [2] [3] His death means that his Arau federal seat were vacated, and necessitates for by-election to be held, as the seat were vacated more that 2 years before the expiry of Malaysian parliament current terms. [3] [4] Election Commission of Malaysia announced on 3 June 1998 that the by-election for the seat will be held on 4 July 1998, with 24 June 1998 set as the nomination day. [5]

Nomination and campaign

After nomination closed, it was confirmed that BN will face Pan-Malaysian Islamic Party (PAS) in a straight fight for the Arau seat. [6] BN nominated Ismail Kassim, the United Malays National Organization (UMNO) Arau division Youth chief, and the younger brother or Perlis Menteri Besar and Perlis UMNO and BN chief Shahidan Kassim, who announced Ismail's candidacy. [7] PAS meanwhile nominated Hashim Jasin, the party's Perlis state commissioner. [6]

Observers such as New Straits Times columnist A. Rahman Osman saw BN will win the by-election convincingly, and PAS can only hope to reduce the majority votes, as no other parties other than BN or its predecessor Alliance won the parliamentary seat in Perlis. [8]

Timeline

The key dates are listed below.

DateEvent
Issue of the Writ of Election
24 June 1998Nomination Day
24 June - 3 July 1998Campaigning Period
Early polling day for postal and overseas voters
4 July 1998Polling Day

Results

Malaysian general by-election, 4 July 1998: Arau
Upon the death of incumbent, Kamarudin Ahmad
PartyCandidateVotes% ∆%
PAS Hashim Jasin 12,86452.71Increase2.svg 52.71
BN Ismail Kassim 11,54147.29Decrease2.svg 16.24
Total valid votes24,405100.00
Total rejected ballots344
Unreturned ballots0
Turnout24,74970.27Decrease2.svg 6.24
Registered electors35,221
Majority1,3235.42Decrease2.svg 21.64
PAS gain from BN Swing ?

Previous result

Malaysian general election, 1995 : Arau
PartyCandidateVotes% ∆%
BN Kamarudin Ahmad16,26663.53Increase2.svg 2.10
S46 Saad @ Md. Zain Hamzah9,33736.47Increase2.svg 36.47
Total valid votes25,603100.00
Total rejected ballots891
Unreturned ballots30
Turnout26,52476.51Decrease2.svg 0.91
Registered electors34,667
Majority6,92927.06Increase2.svg 4.20
BN hold Swing

Aftermath

Hashim did not defend the seat in the general election the next year; and BN won back the seat defeating another PAS candidate.

A retrospective view in 2018 by political analyst Md Shukri Shuib opines that Hashim's win in the by-election were 'lucky', and aided by BN's election machinery weakness and the people's view of the government way of tackling the 1997 Asian financial crisis in the country. [9]

Notes

    References

    1. "Victory to Pas in Arau by-election". New Straits Times. 5 July 1998. p. 1. Retrieved 11 April 2025.
    2. 1 2 "Arau MP dies of stroke". New Straits Times. 26 May 1998. p. 2. Retrieved 11 April 2025.
    3. 1 2 "Arau MP Kamaruddin buried at hometown". New Straits Times. 27 May 1998. p. 2. Retrieved 11 April 2025.
    4. "By-election to be held for Arau". New Straits Times. 31 May 1998. p. 2. Retrieved 11 April 2025.
    5. "Arau by-election fixed for July 4". news.google.com. 4 June 1998. p. 2. Retrieved 11 April 2025.
    6. 1 2 "Straight fight between BN, PAS". New Straits Times. 25 June 1998. p. 2. Retrieved 11 April 2025.
    7. "Shahidan's brother is BN's man for Arau polls". news.google.com. 23 June 1998. p. 2. Retrieved 11 April 2025.
    8. Osman, A. Rahman (29 June 1998). "Daunting task for Pas in Arau, home turf of MB Shahidan". New Straits Times. p. 2. Retrieved 11 April 2025.
    9. "Parlimen Arau saksi pertembungan dua tokoh". Malaysiakini (in Malay). 7 May 2018. Retrieved 15 April 2025.