Opposition parties are crying foul over Barisan Nasional's pre-emptive start to campaigning for the Anak Bukit and Pendang by-elections, although the candidates have yet to be nominated.
PAS is expected to face Umno, the major party in the ruling Barisan Nasional coalition, in a straight fight for the Pendang parliamentary and Anak Bukit state assembly seats. Eight days of campaigning are scheduled to begin July 10, nomination day.
"Umno and BN are abusing government machinery like the media to announce million-ringgit projects for the people in order to fight PAS," party secretary-general Nasharuddin Mat Isa alleged.
"Democracy here is not real. We do not have a level playing field during elections," he told malaysiakini when contacted today.
The two seats fell vacant June 23 with the death of PAS president Mohd Fadzil Noor, after he underwent heart surgery.
BN leaders have moved into the two constituencies to meet with the people. The media have also begun carrying reports on government development plans for the area.
Million-ringgit projects
Housing and Local Government Minister Ong Ka Ting was reported as saying on Saturday that the government would spend about RM3 million on low cost housing in Pendang and Anak Bukit.
Health Minister Chua Jui Meng said yesterday that RM12 million has been allocated for better health facilities in Pendang as part of an on-going programme by the government to improve healthcare in rural areas.
A new highway has been promised to link Pendang to Alor Setar, the state capital. When completed, it will halve travel time from the present 30 minutes.
The state government has announced plans for 13 big projects costing more than RM4 billion in total, scheduled for completion before 2010.
These include the re-development of the Anak Bukit royal town at a cost of more than RM500 million. The project has begun and is expected to be completed in three years.
The federal government has also approved 15 other projects costing RM1 billion in the state.
'Vote-buying'
Keadilan MP for Kemaman Abdul Rahman Yusof said the announcements were the usual ploy of the BN-led government to "bribe the voters during elections".
He alleged that the government bribes the people into voting for BN with such pledges. Yet, Umno leaders also do not hesitate to criticise the Malays for their "subsidy or tongkat (crutch)" mentality.
"It is they (Umno or BN) who plant that disease in the Malays. But the Malays are now aware that Umno has not really done anything for them," he said.
"Even though BN has had the mandate to rule the country for 45 years, they look good only in the media. In reality, only a small group of cronies benefit from the so-called development brought about by the government," he added.
The by-elections are vital for the ruling coalition which saw its dominance in Kedah — Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad's home state — threatened by PAS in the 1999 election.
Two-third majority
It will be a challenge for BN to win back the Anak Bukit state seat in order to regain its two-third majority in the Kedah state assembly, which it lost when Keadilan's deputy youth chief Saifuddin Nasution Ismail won the Lunas by-election in 2000.
The Pendang and Anak Bukit by-elections are being seen as a barometer of Umno and BN's popularity, and a way of gauging its current political support in the state.
In the last general elections, PAS won eight parliamentary seats and 12 state seats. According to the updated election roll, Pendang has 53,128 voters, including 170 postal voters. The Anak Bukit seat has 19,399 voters, including 20 postal voters.
