PAS’ candidate in the fast approaching Kuala Besut by-election, Azlan Yusof (below), is confident he has nothing to fear over the might of his BN opponent Tengku Zaihan Che Ku Abd Rahman’s vast family, which is seen as a contributing factor towards the latter’s electoral campaign.

NONE “It is the same thing (facing Tengku Zaihan). We are all Besut natives. We all have big families. It is the same.

“(I) am not afraid to face (Tengku Zaihan’s big family). Insya-Allah, we (PAS) are confident of winning this time. This is our turn,” he said during a press conference in Kuala Besut this morning.

Azlan, who is more fondly known as Che Long, said this when asked to comment on his efforts to face Tengku Zaihan’s reportedly big network of family members in the small coastal town, all of whom will reportedly help out with the engineer’s electoral campaign.'

' Touch' campaign to build on rapport

Meanwhile, Azlan’s campain manager Hanapiah Mat announced their “touch” campaign, themed “16:16 Terengganu Baru ” (16:16 New Terengganu).

The campaign, he said, will revolve around house-to-house visits, as well as visits to business premises, the Ramadan markets and mosques in the area.

“He (Azlan) is always on the ground and mixing with the people, be they fisherman, keropok traders, farmers and government officers.

“Now, he wants to build back the rapport he has to appeal in this by-election,” Hanapiah, who is also Chukai assemblyperson, said.

NONE It was reported in Berita Harian today that the family members of Tengku Zaihan ( right in photo ), numbering more than 3,000 within the state constituency and across the country, are planning to open their own operations centre throughout his campaign.

His father Che Ku Abd Rahman Che Ku Abdullah, who is president of the Tuan Fatimah Tuan Long Family Association, said he planned to open the service centre at his home at Kampung Taman Seri Seratus, there.

The Kuala Besut seat became vacant after its assemblyperson, BN’s Dr A Rahman Mokhtar, passed away on June 26 from lung cancer.

Nomination for the by-election will be held tomorrow while polling day has been set for July 24.