BUKIT MERTAJAM: A fight broke out between Pakatan Rakyat and Barisan Nasional (BN) supporters outside the SMK Guar Perahu polling station yesterday where voting for the Permatang Pauh by-election was taking place.

The scuffle, which started about 9.30am, took place in the middle of the road, causing traffic congestion as police scrambled to break up the fight. Balik Pulau Member of Parliament (MP) Datuk Seri Dr Hilmi Yahaya was also at the scene, trying to pacify the supporters.

The fight was believed to have started with a shouting match when a group of people wearing blue shirts with the words “Mie, anak muda, anak tempatan, ada, di kawasan”, showed up at a roadside stall near the polling station where BN candidate Suhaimi Shabudin cast his ballot yesterday morning.

This led PKR supporters in the area to say that BN supporters had violated the polls’ regulations on campaigning and were trying to fish for votes by wearing the shirts.

Election rules stipulate that party supporters cannot be present within 50m of polling centres.

Police and an Election Commission (EC) officer were at the scene to cool tempers.

Hilmi later met with Kuantan MP Fuziah Salleh over the scuffle and he agreed to convince the BN supporters to move away.

“Actually, this shop is a place where BN has been gathering at since the previous elections and there were never any problems before.

“But since they measured the distance and we are located within 50m, we will move. We respect the law,” she said.

Earlier, Fuziah told reporters that since Hilmi had agreed to move, no police reports would be lodged.

“I told him that as an MP himself, he should respect the law and he agreed, but had difficulty convincing others.

“It is unfortunate that a scuffle broke out before we were able to negotiate peacefully, but so far we have not yet identified who got hurt in the fracas earlier,” she said.

She added that under existing regulations, the EC could not act against those who violated election regulations.

“The EC has to lodge a police report for police to take the necessary action.”

Fuziah said she had been at the scene to visit a PKR booth nearby. PKR president Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail is the opposition’s candidate for the seat.

She said Pahang PKR members were stationed to help out at the booth. Police had deployed the Federal Reserve Unit to manage the situation.

The fights were broken up within minutes and both sides appeared to calm down, although loud chants of “reformasi” were heard from time to time. — The Malaysian Insider

This article first appeared in The Edge Financial Daily, on May 8, 2015.