PILIHAN RAYA KECIL

A Three-Cornered Fight In KT, It Is!

Selasa, 6 Januari 2009 •

Surprise independent candidate Azharudin Mamat has made it a three-cornered fight in Kuala Terengganu, but the main battle will be between the Umno-led BN and Pakatan Rakyat.

Adds latest comments by KeADILan’s Tian Chua, DPM Najib Razak, Azharudin Mamat, Wahid Endut

By Wong Choon Mei

Kuala Terengganu’s indoor Stadium Negeri was today transformed into a hive of activity, energised to a level un-felt before, as tens of thousands of supporters and spectators - perhaps as many as 50,000 - thronged the area around it.

Over the next 11 days, this royal state capital will become the object of a fierce by-election fight between Abdul Wahid Endut from the Pakatan Rakyat (above, left), Wan Ahmad Farid from Barisan Nasional (centre) and Independent candidate Azharudin Mamat (right).

The contest is also the first by-election of 2009. Another at Pensiangan in Sabah is a very real prospect, although currently, it is pending a Federal Court decision on whether a nullification of the March 2008 election result, favouring PBRS president Joseph Kurup, will be upheld.

This morning, Election Commission returning officer Mat Razali Kassim confirmed all three KT candidates, saying that there had been four objections but all were over-ruled.

At least 20,000 Pakatan leaders and supporters accompanied Wahid on a procession to the stadium.

Backing him was PAS president Hadi Awang, spiritual adviser Nik Aziz, KeADILan deputy president Syed Husin Ali, DAP adviser Lim Kit Siang, Pakatan leaders Khalid Ibrahim, Azmin Ali, Tian Chua, Teresa Kok, Ronnie Liu, Tan Kok Wai and hundreds of other big names.

Said KeADILan information chief Tian Chua: “You can see all the top leaders from KeADILan and DAP are also here to show our commitment to ensure a big win for PAS. I am confident with such undivided support from the Pakatan, Wahid can win with a big majority.”

Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim, who has been away in Turkey, is also due to arrive later today and will deliver the first ceramah of the night.

The presence of the charismatic former deputy prime minister will add to the excitement, and perhaps, thicken the air of change already gently blowing across this peaceful coastal town.

Najib sidesteps questions on Mahathir’s Wan Ahmad remarks

Meanwhile, Barisan’s Wan Ahmad was also accompanied by thousands of supporters and leaders such as Deputy Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak, state chief minister Ahmad Said, MCA president Ong Tee Keat and a host of others.

Najib, the BN election director and incoming Umno president, was also confident of his coalition’s chances.

“We don’t want to be too confident as we don’t have a crystal ball, but we believe that we will win well. This is our target and we will do our best it achieve it,” he told reporters. “We must ensure we win this election. We must regain our political strength and influence.”

The KT contest will be a direct test of the extent and strength of his leadership over the Malay community, although there have been efforts by some of his supporters and even his mentor, ex-premier Mahathir Mohamad, to deflect the pressure away to Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi.

They have tagged Wan Ahmad as “Abdullah’s man”, but even so pundits believe a loss in KT will signal the beginning-of-the-end of Najib’s prominence in Umno.

Both Najib and Wan Ahmad declined to comment on Mahathir’s remarks made yesterday that Wan Ahmad was not a good choice of candidate - words that may nip at the BN candidate’s chances.

Mahathir’s disparaging comments were seen as a deliberate attempt to shield Najib, but some party members have questioned why the KT seat should be sacrificed just to protect his protege’s prospects.

”This not a yardstick or a referendum on me, the prime minister or the mentri besar. This is about the people of Kuala Terengganu,” was all Najib would say when pressed by reporters.

Basically between BN and Pakatan

Surprise entry Azharudin Mamat (right), a 46-year old businessman, turned up to make it a three-cornered fight. Appearing to be slightly cowed by the presence of nearly all the country’s top political guns, Azharudin was modest with his words.

“All the money I get as an MP will be invested to help the poor,” said Azharudin, adding that his mission was to help the poor.

Despite his unexpected presence, the main tussle will still be between BN’s Wan Ahmad (left) and PAS’s Abdul Wahid (middle).

As an Independent, Azharudin is likely to play only the role of a spoiler - someone who takes away votes from the main candidates, thereby spoiling their chances. But pundits are unsure about the impact that he can make on the final result.

Wan Ahmad, who yesterday resigned as deputy home minister and senator as part of by-election procedure, is a 46-year old lawyer. Deputy Prime Minister Najib Razak has promised to re-appoint him to the cabinet if the people of KT voted him in.

“Kuala Terengganu Umno has reunited and is in a strong position to face the by-election,” Wan Ahmad said.

Like Wan Ahmad, Abdul Wahid Endut is a ‘local boy’ - almost a fixture in the Terengganu political scene. He has a degree in marine science and fisheries and also an impeccable record with voters there, having never lost since standing for his first state seat in 1986.

But unlike Wan Ahmad - this time, the 52-year old PAS stalwart is up against the odds.

Wahid will have to try to outshout the slew of election goodies and lures worth hundreds of millions of ringgit unleashed by Najib to ensure Wan Ahmad’s victory. Can he do it?

“We fight cruelty and oppression in the name of Islam. Because of this, our message is clear, that we will defend the rights of all people regardless of their religion and ethnic background. I want a gentlemanly fight,” Wahid said.

Today, he promised again that Pakatan and PAS would be fair to all races, dispelling recent accusations by Umno and MCA that PAS would implement hudud law if it came to power.

Hudud, includes punishment by stoning and amputation of limbs, is often used as a scare tactic by political parties on the Chinese and Indian communities.

“I don’t think the Chinese voters here are affected by the hudud controversy,” Wahid said.

Weather, phantom voters, police and the Chinese

According to the EC, there are 80,229 registered voters in the KT constituency. About 88 percent of these are Malay, and 11 percent are Chinese. The rest are Indian and other minority groups.

It is believed that the Malay vote is split down the line between Pakatan and Umno, while the Chinese and other minority groups are mainly ‘fence-sitters’, who as such may hold in their hand the ‘swing factor’ or deciding vote.

Some 6,000 police personeel have been stationed in KT, sparking concern among the people and the contenders that the Umno-led BN might try to ferry in phantom voters.

Already, the police have been accused trying to intimidate Pakatan members who will throng the town to support their PAS partner. Just yesterday, KeADILan Youth deputy chief Fariz Musa was arrested along with four others without any reason given.

Polling is on Jan 17, leaving candidates 11 days to campaign. Uncertain weather will play a big factor during this period and also on polling day as erratic rains and floods could force voters to stay away from the barrage of ceramahs, rallies and even the ballot box.

The KT parliamentary seat fell vacant following the sudden death of deputy education minister Razali Ismail in late November.

(Berita ini diambil dari Suara Keadilan 6 Januari 2009)