Akhirnya, BN membuat keputusan tidak meletakkan calon pada pilihan raya di DUN Penanti, Pulau Pinang, 31 Mei nanti. Alasan yang diberikan oleh BN ialah kekosongan di DUN tersebut bukan disebabkan oleh peruntukan dalam perlembagaan, sebaliknya hanya mainan politik pembangkang. Itulah alasan yang diberikan selepas Dewan Tertinggi BN bermesyuarat selama dua jam. Berikutan keputusan itu, calon PKR akan berdepan calon bebas, iaitu Aminah Bt Abdullah yang merupakan bekas ahli PKR.

Keputusan yang dikatakan dicapai sebulat suara itu diadakan di Menara Dato' Onn, Pusat Dagangan Dunia Putra (PWTC) dan dipengerusikan Datuk Seri Mohd Najib Tun Razak. Pilihan raya kecil DUN Penanti diadakan berikutan penyandangnya, Mohammad Fairus Khairuddin dari PKR meletakkan jawatan sebagai Ahli Dewan Undangan Negeri (ADUN) Penanti 16 April lalu.

Berdasarkan situasi ini, penulis percaya BN akan berusaha sedaya upaya untuk menghalang pilihan raya yang sama diadakan di Perak. Justeru, harapan untuk melihat rakyat memilih kerajaan di Perak mungkin tidak kesampaian dan penulis percaya proses mahkamah akan diteruskan untuk menghalalkan pengambilan kuasa di Perak pada Februari yang lalu.

"BN Will Not Contest In Penanti By-election

KUALA LUMPUR, May 18 (Bernama) -- The Barisan Nasional (BN) Supreme Council Monday decided not to contest in the by-election for the Penanti State constituency in Penang.

Prime Minister and BN chairman Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak, who made the announcement after chairing the BN Supreme Council meeting which lasted more than two hours at Menara Datuk Onn, here said the matter had been discussed 'at length' and all the BN component parties had agreed on the decision.

"The (BN) Supreme Council made the decision as the seat fell vacant not because it was due to a provision in the constitution, that is, the vacancy was because Parti Keadilan (Rakyat) wants to resolve its internal problems, and as such it is also a political ploy by the opposition and has nothing to do with the provisions of the constitution, and because the BN gives priority to service to the people and efforts to revive the country's economy, we have decided not to field a candidate to contest the Penanti by-election," he said.

On April 27, the Election Commission (EC) fixed May 23 as the nomination day for the by-election for the N.12 Penanti state constituency in Penang and May 31 as polling day.

The seat fell vacant following the resignation of the State Assemblyman for the constituency, Mohammad Fairus Khairuddin, through his letter dated March 19, 2009.". BERNAMA