PPBM to seek legal aid over EC's barring of Penaga candidate

KEPALA BATAS: Penang's Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (PPBM) will seek legal help after its Penaga state seat candidate Yaakob Osman was barred from standing in the 14th general election by the Election Commission (EC).
The EC ruled on grounds that Yaakob was an alleged bankrupt, hence his automatic disqualification from contesting in the state seat.
But Penang PPBM and its Tasek Gelugor parliamentary candidate Marzuki Yahya said that a check before the nomination and even after it showed that Yaakob was not classified as one by the Insolvency Department.
"We even have the online proof so we are puzzled on what clauses did the EC rely on to disqualify Yaakob."
Marzuki said that the PPBM was now in the process of seeking legal help to address the issue and he wants the matter brought to court.
"Justice denied is justice not served."
Marzuki said that if PPBM knew that Yaakob had financial woes, the party wouldn't have fielded him.
"We also have back up candidates but we screened Yaakob on the eve of Nominations and everything was fine."
He believed that there could be a conspiracy to deny Yaakob from contesting.
As a result of this glitch, the seat is now a contest between the incumbent Mohd Zain Ahmad from Barisan Nasional and Mohd Yusni Mat Piah, who is the former state PAS Youth head.
It is the only state seat which has a straight fight, while the rest would either witness a six to four and three-cornered fights here.
Yaakob is also the younger brother of Penang Umno liaison committee chairperson Datuk Seri Zainal Abidin Osman, who had recently expressed his intention to retire after opting not to stand in this election.
Meanwhile, Marzuki said that PPBM will be going all out to reclaim the honor of the Malay community by advocating on the need to have clean and transparent leaders to lead the community forward.
For the longest of time, the community leaders have been accused of showing apathy to the scourge of corruption and this will stop through PPBM's stewardship, said Marzuki.