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Election Snippets
Mon, Feb 25, 2008 The Straits Times
GRUESOME FIND IN UMNO DELEGATION'S BUS KAJANG: The body of a man, suspected to have been murdered, was found in the luggage compartment of a bus carrying a Puteri Umno team to the nomination centre in Semenyih yesterday. The bus driver stumbled upon the unidentified man's body, bundled in a thin mattress and stuffed into a bag, around 10am when he was checking the luggage compartment after the Puteri delegation had alighted at the Kajang Stadium to join Barisan Nasional supporters accompanying the candidates to the nomination centre.

The bus driver has been detained for questioning.

BERNAMA

FINGERWORK V FOOTWORK

KOTA BARU: Parti Islam SeMalaysia (PAS) and Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) candidates in the Malay heartland state of Kelantan are using alternative media to get their messages across and their votes in.

Kelantan PAS has created its own Internet-based television broadcast portal called Global Media Channel at www.ipglobal.tv, which would see party vice-president Husam Musa conducting daily media briefings.

PKR candidate Saifuddin Nasution had started his campaign for the Machang parliament seat three weeks ago by setting up his own text-messaging service to communicate with the constituents.

'The idea came from what US Democratic candidate Barack Obama is doing, which has been very successful over there. I spoke to some American friends and they said to give it a try,' he said.

But Umno incumbent Sazmi Miah said he preferred the old-fashioned way of campaigning.

'It is not the Kelantan style to use SMSes to communicate with the voters. I will still be going house-to-house to meet the constituents. When it comes to politics, touching the hearts of the people is what is important,' Datuk Sazmi said.

THE STAR/ASIA NEWS NETWORK

A TIME TO WORK, A TIME TO VOTE

ALOR GAJAH: The government has reminded employers that it is compulsory for them to give their workers enough time to go out and vote in the general election on March 8.

'If there are employers who fail to do so, stern action can be taken against them,' Human Resource Minister Fong Chan Onn told reporters after the nomination of candidates at Dewan Japerun in Machap here.

'Employees who are denied their voting right can lodge their complaints with the ministry,' he added.

Datuk Seri Dr Fong, who is contesting the Alor Gajah parliamentary seat for the fifth time, will be challenged by newcomer Tan Lay Siang, the state Democratic Action Party Wanita secretary, for the seat. Datuk Seri Fong won the last election with a majority of 22,548 votes.

BERNAMA