PAS assemblyman for Galas Che Hashim Sulaima had Passed Away-By Election

Kuching
Monday, 27th September 2010

PAS assemblyman for Galas Che Hashim Sulaima died after battling colon cancer for more than a year, triggering a by-election which must be held within the next two months.

“We have received the very sad news and are waiting for the body to come back. After prayers and his burial, then only shall we comment,” Kota Bharu MP Wan Rahim Wan Abdullah told Malaysia Chronicle.

Under local rules, the Speaker of the Kelantan state assembly has to inform the Election Commission, which will then fix a by-election date.

The 48-year old Che Hashim was a first-term assemblyman winning the state seat from Umno by a narrow 646-vote margin in the 2008 general election. He received 4,399 votes, defeating incumbent Saufi Deraman.

PAS had captured 38 of the 45 state seats in Kelantan, boosted by a tidal wave for reform. BN won six and PKR one.

Galas (tagged N45) is the largest town under Gua Musang parliamentary constituency held by Umno veteran Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah. It has population of 31,814. The other two towns are Chiku and Bertam.

In Galas, Malays make up 66 per cent of the electorate, the Chinese 22 per cent, Indians 2 per cent, while other races are 10 per cent.

Che Hashim was diagnosed with colon cancer and went to China to undergo chemotherapy treatment in 2009. Last week, he was readmitted to the Kampung Baru Medical Centre in Kuala Lumpur.

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