The Kuala Terengganu by-election is around the corner. It is a three-cornered fight between Ahmad Farid of BN, Mohd Abdul Wahid Endut of PAS and Azharudin Mamat, an independent.

However, we can easily say that Azharudin Mamat’s utmost task will be to get back his deposit. I simply don’t understand why Azhaurdin is in this race. Probably, he is used as a pawn to split the votes by either BN or PAS.

This is the first election test of sorts for Najib Abdual Razak after being chosen as Umno’s prime minister-in- waiting, He has camped himself at Kuala Terengganu to make sure BN’s Ahmad Farid wins. If it happens, it would mark the beginning of the return of Umno specifically, and of BN generally for the political wilderness.

However, as Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad has put it, the people of Terengganu are quite unpredictable and they like to try out the candidates of their current choice. Judging from the results of the recent March 2008 election, BN should win in this by-election.

The (Umno)BN candidate won the Kuala Terengganu seat amid then. The previous general election was also a costly reminder to BN not to take the voters for granted. The majority of the rakyat felt that the BN VIPs were arrogant and had a ‘service below self’ attitude.

We could now notice that the same BN VIPs have toned down and some are really down-to- earth. Now, I feel, they have realised that each vote needs be earned and treasured. No wonder the deputy prime minister has and is spending so much time for this by-election.

Even the prime minister recently went to Kuala Terengganu to give moral support to Najib and his team. The return of the oil royalty payments and the commendable performance of the new menteri besar of Terengganu Ahmad Said are also main plus points.

However, the Umno (BN) candidate Wan Farid is under attack by not only the opposition parties but also by Umno grassroots. This is something which is unexpected and untimely for Umno as it could dent his chances of winning the by-election.

Farid is said to be too rigid, unfriendly and too serious. However, the Terengganu folks should know that Farid is relatively new to direct politics and he will catch up with the art of communication involving politics soon.

So they should look at his past and potential contribution to them. Furthermore, a smiling or pleasant looking person could also be a fraud and a cheat. Whether Farid is Pak Lah’s man or Najib’s man should both be taken as a positive factor.

This means he can contribute much to Kuala Terengganu as he has strong connections with the top. Najib should not have issued a statement that rebuts the claim that Farid is Pak Lah’s man.

On the other hand, the parties of Pakatan Rakyat ie, PK,R PAS and DAP have yet one more time unleashed their boring hudud ‘sandiwara ’. It clearly shows that they are short of major issues.

It is evident that they think the hudud issue will bring more support from the Malays and the DAP assumes that no matter what,the Chinese will vote for the opposition candidate ie, the one from.

On a friendly note, I wish all the best to all the three candidates and may the ideal one amongst you win.