Can PAS redeem its pride in Kuala Berang?
When the news broke that Kelantan Mentri Besar Nik Aziz Nik Mat had suffered a heart attack , some mischievous voices in the state suggested that there would be a by-election for the Cempaka state seat, which he holds. They thought Nik Aziz would have to step down for health reasons.
As it turned out, something else happened. Instead of Cempaka, which had been targeted, it was the Kuala Berang state seat in Terengganu which fell vacant when assembly representative Komaruddin Abdul Rahman died suddenly of a heart attack.
The focus thus shifted from Cempaka to Kuala Berang. The by-election there will be the first in Peninsular Malaysia since the general election concluded in March. It is expected to draw the attention of all Malaysians even though it is to be held in Terengganu, as it is a region that will be hotly contested by Umno and PAS.
Umno will surely want to defend the seat while PAS will seek to redeem its pride and dispel disappointment over its dismal performance in the general election. Prior to Komaruddin's death, the distribution of state seats in Terengganu had been 28-4 in favour of Barisan Nasional (BN).
Even though the Election Commission has not finalised the dates for nomination of candidates and for the polls, both parties appear to have cranked up their election machinery. Preparations have been made, campaigning has begun.
When the news broke that Kelantan Mentri Besar Nik Aziz Nik Mat had suffered a heart attack , some mischievous voices in the state suggested that there would be a by-election for the Cempaka state seat, which he holds. They thought Nik Aziz would have to step down for health reasons.
As it turned out, something else happened. Instead of Cempaka, which had been targeted, it was the Kuala Berang state seat in Terengganu which fell vacant when assembly representative Komaruddin Abdul Rahman died suddenly of a heart attack.
The focus thus shifted from Cempaka to Kuala Berang. The by-election there will be the first in Peninsular Malaysia since the general election concluded in March. It is expected to draw the attention of all Malaysians even though it is to be held in Terengganu, as it is a region that will be hotly contested by Umno and PAS.
Umno will surely want to defend the seat while PAS will seek to redeem its pride and dispel disappointment over its dismal performance in the general election. Prior to Komaruddin's death, the distribution of state seats in Terengganu had been 28-4 in favour of Barisan Nasional (BN).
Even though the Election Commission has not finalised the dates for nomination of candidates and for the polls, both parties appear to have cranked up their election machinery. Preparations have been made, campaigning has begun.
PAS, which has not yet recovered from the shock of its loss of the state legislature, wants to make Kuala Berang the battleground where it can win back honour and revive its spirits in Terengganu.
There has been some talk that PAS will field Dr Mamat Puteh (
left
) again as its candidate. He was defeated by Komaruddin (
right
) by a majority of more than 1,000 votes. Kuala Berang had 11,437 voters on the electoral roll, with 98.81 percent being Malay.
'Phantom' voters
Its shattering electoral defeat has disappointed PAS so much that party president Abdul Hadi Awang has claimed that the results are void because of the existence of 'phantom' voters. PAS leaders in Terengganu have opined that, if not for 'phantom' voters, the party would not have lost so badly.
Kuala Berang is seen as the best opportunity to prove their allegations because it is much easier to control and observe a by-election.
For Umno, Kuala Berang is not a difficult seat to defend. They feel certain of retaining it as Hulu Terengganu, in particular Kuala Berang, is a traditional Umno stronghold. PAS only managed to win the seat in the 1999 general election.
In addition, Komaruddin had maintained a good service record during his term of office.
The development factor will prove to be an advantage for BN/Umno. Both the state and federal governments are now concentrating on bringing development to Terengganu. Hulu Terengganu is not left out, and will benefit from many big projects.
Among these projects is the East Coast Highway, from Kuantan to Besut, which will traverse several areas within the constituency.
The proposed airport in Hulu Terengganu will also whet the appetite and open the eyes of the local population to economic opportunities.
The influence of Hulu Terengganu MP Tengku Putra Tengku Awang in the area has become stronger after his appointment as deputy finance minister. As a result, Umno is sure that Kuala Berang is a 'white' (safe) constituency.
Prrivate campaigning
However, the certainty is that there will be a tough fight in Kuala Berang. All the top leaders of both parties are expected to be doing groundwork as in past by-elections.
Prime Minister and BN chairperson Abdullah Ahmad Badawi and his deputy Najib Abdul Razak will be criss-crossing the area.
Terengganu Mentri Besar Idris Jusoh, together with many Umno leaders who are candidates for party elections - for the posts of vice-presidents and Supreme Council members - will be camping in Kuala Berang.
They will make use of the opportunity to not only campaign for the Kuala Berang seat, but conveniently promote themselves to the party delegates from Terengganu, as well as to those from other states who will be helping out in the by-election.
Opposition leaders, in particular those from PAS and Parti Keadilan Rakyat, will use the Kuala Berang campaign as a stage to show that their co-operation is still strong.
Abdul Hadi is certain to direct PAS' campaign. Unfortunately, the party will not have the chance to use the influence of its spiritual advisor Nik Aziz (
photo
) this time, as he is still unwell and needs to rest.
DAP is not likely to contest for the seat as the number of Chinese voters in Kuala Berang is too small - only 1.05 percent.
Islam Hadhari
As for issues, Umno will continue with its development propaganda and will clarifiy its Islam Hadhari (progressive Islam) concept.
PAS is expected to highlight different issues this time around. There are no issues of national interest which can be used, apart from debating the Islam Hadhari concept pioneered by the government.
From the aspect of development, the state government appears to be earnestly trying to fulfil its election promises. As such, PAS may try to win sympathy votes by asking for help to establish a credible opposition in the state assembly.
The outcome in Kuala Berang will have no real effect on control over the state assembly. Even if BN loses, it will still remain in power with a two-thirds majority.
However, the outcome will be more meaningful in terms of credibilty and honour - a win for the Umno candidate will confirm the rakyat's support for BN.
For PAS, a win in Kuala Berang is much needed - it would prove that the party is not dead in Terengganu. That means a future still exists for PAS in the state where turtles lay eggs.
Many political observers have opined that the age of glory for PAS in Terengganu is now history, after the KO (knockout) it suffered in the past elections.
As such, Kuala Berang is not just another by-election. It is an important arena for PAS to avenge its defeat and disappointment. It is a most difficult task because the majority of Kuala Berang voters are already enamoured with Umno.
Umno will see Kuala Berang as the place to bury PAS' influence in Terengganu even deeper.
For the candidates in the race for posts at the Umno polls next month, the outcome of the by-election is not as important as the opportunity it brings to advertise themselves.
The Bahasa Malaysia version of this article appeared on Tuesday.
