The Barisan Nasional governments decision to stop airing the Memali video clip on the state-owned RTM has shed one load off the Umno Baling division which is trying to regain the communitys support.

Last Tuesday, sources told malaysiakini that airing the Memali clip could arouse unresolved resentment over the tragedy and erode BNs chances of recapturing the Baling parliamentary seat in Kedah.

The ruling BN coalition lost Baling  where the controversial village of Memali is located  to PAS candidate and former Masjid Negara imam Taib Azzamudden Mt Taib in the 1999 general elections.

According to the sources, since then, Umno has been able to neutralise many PAS members in Baling after the Muslim partys leaders failed to provide satisfactory answers to the controversy surrounding the donations collected for the Memali victims families.

They claimed that many PAS members had left the party to join Umno and a sizeable number of PAS supporters have swung to Umno.

Another problem

With the Memali programme controversy over, the focus has now turned to another major problem plaguing the division  the unfilled position of division chief.

On Sept 5, 2000, the Umno disciplinary committee headed by Tengku Ahmad Rithauddeen had revoked the election of three division leaders, including Balings Zainal Mat Isa, over allegations of breaching election ethics and money politics.

Zainals plea against the decision of the partys disciplinary board was later rejected by the Umno appeals board.

The appeals board instead reduced his six-year suspension to three years, which prohibits him from holding or contesting for any post in the party during that period. Zainal is also a former Kedah state exco member.

The last contest for Baling division chief was between Zainal, who is also state assembly representative for Bayu, and incumbent Raja Ariffin Raja Sulaiman. Zainal obtained 262 votes to beat Raja Ariffin who was a former minister in the Prime Ministers Department, with a majority of 97 votes.

According to party sources, the deputy division chief will normally be appointed acting chief until next years party election. Until then, Kedah Menteri Besar Syed Razak Syed Zain has been appointed the acting Baling chief.

Another Umno division chief from Kedah, Ahmad Lebai Sudin, who has been given written warnings, was cleared of all wrongdoings, and thus his party position is not affected.