GEORGE TOWN, May 20 ― Bukit Gelugor by-election independent candidate Abu Backer Sidek Mohammad Zan caused a 30-minute traffic snarl outside the Penang state assembly when he lay down in the middle of the road after pretending he was hit by the chief minister’s car.
Abu Backer Sidek earlier sought to block the official vehicle from leaving the state assembly area, after failing to gain entry in a bid to meet the latter.
Despite his attempts to block the exit, security guards managed to let the chief minister's official vehicle through, leading a dissatisfied Abu Backer to run towards the vehicle and pretending to have been hit.
The lawyer laid in the middle of the road moaning as though in pain, while his assistants called for an ambulance.
“My ribs are hurting, so pain,” he groaned as he lay there.
An ambulance arrived and took him away at about 2.30pm.
Abu Backer had arrived at the state legislative assembly at noon to pass an invitation letter to the Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng to attend a hudud forum and a complaint on difficulty in securing locations to organise rallies for his campaign.
“I'm here to fight for the people. I am also Malaysian and a Penangite, they should allow me in, I just want to forward my complaints,” he shouted after being prevented from entering the assembly grounds.
The Bukit Gelugor by-election on May 25 will see a four-way contest involving DAP's Ramkarpal Singh and Parti Cinta Malaysia's Huan Cheng Guan along with independents Abu Backer and Mohd Nabi Bux Mohd Sathar.
The Bukit Gelugor seat was vacated after the late MP Karpal Singh was killed in a road crash on April 17.
