2 theSun | FRIDAY JANUARY 16 2009

news without borders

Kuala Terengganu parliamentary by-election

would be happy to be wrong.
Wan Farid
But unlike them, some PAS
members are not really shy of
saying “inshaallah, our party
candidate will win if …” and
they will go on to intone the
caveats mentioned by their
briefs
legations even as it pours in all
kinds of ang pows and election
lollipops to the various commu-
nities in Kuala Terengganu.
It is also appealing to all EC expects higher
of the 80,229 voters to turn
up to vote, especially the voter turnout

catching up
Comment by Zainon Ahmad
newsdesk@thesundaily.com
WHO is going to win the
Kuala Terengganu by-election?
Deputy Umno president Datuk
Seri Najib Razak says that BN’s
Datuk Wan Ahmad Farid Wan
Salleh has more than a 50%
chance of winning.
But every time he said that
in the last few days, he also
added the caveat “if we con-
tinue to work hard”. Indeed
he is everywhere in the con-
stituency, frenetically rallying
BN campaigners and party
workers not to relax but to
double their efforts to ensure
the parliamentary seat does
not fall to PAS.
PAS leaders say the same
thing, that their candidate,
Wakaf Mempelam assembly-
man Abdul Wahid Endut, has
more than a 50% chance of
snatching away Kuala Tereng-
ganu from the BN.
In fact, PAS director of the by-
election machinery, Datuk Wan
Abdul Mutalib Embong, backed
his forecast by saying that it is
-HOT
RED
MONDAYS
with Italian B.M.T.™
also an assessment made by the
police and the military.
Other leaders talked of
caveats too, mostly the usual
ones, but Wan Mutalib told
reporters: “My only worry is
that the presence of so many
policemen may frighten the
voters while encouraging
many hantu to come out to
do mischief.” He did not say
whether by hantu he meant
devils or phantoms.
Unlike in Permatang Pauh
when it was obvious who the
winner was going to be on
nomination day itself, and most
people – including officials
– were happily and openly
saying so without fear of losing
their credibility, almost all in
Kuala Terengganu seems shy
of predicting the outcome of
tomorrow’s polling.
When pressed for their
opinion, most BN component
party members would turn
away but those few who were
willing to make a prediction
would warily say that Wahid
has a strong chance of win-
ning, albeit narrowly, but they
Operating over 30,000 restaurants in 87 countries
leaders at the various cer-
amahs and rallies.
Focus is now back on the
personalities of the two main
contestants – little media glare
is on the third candidate, in-
dependent Azharudin Mamat,
who is also actively campaign-
ing – after a frenzy of debates
mostly on national, and even
international – especially Is-
raeli atrocities in Gaza, issues.
After almost two weeks of
speaking, shaking hands, at-
tending kenduri and funerals
and sleeping only for a few
hours each day, Wan Farid
and Wahid are noticeably tired
and worn out as they shuffle
from one function to the next.
PAS, backed by its two
Pakatan Rakyat partners of
PKR and DAP, has accused the
BN of all kinds of abuses and
perceived failures to dissuade
the voters from voting for the
ruling coalition again.
Even rumours about alleged
unfair treatment of the late
MP, Datuk Razali Ismail, by
the BN, Umno and Wan Farid
were exploited so as to win
over some or all of the family
members, relatives, friends and
supporters of the former deputy
education minister.
The BN has mobilised mem-
bers of its federal cabinet, almost
all of its Umno, MCA and MIC
leaders, to counter all the al-
out-of-state Chinese voters
who are reluctant to return
for the purpose as they would
have to return again for the
Chinese New Year only about
a week later. The BN knows
that it will benefit from a large
turnout and better if it is more
than 82.45% recorded for the
March 8 general election.
As for the late Razali, never
has a former deputy education
minister been so honoured. He
will now have a school and an
institute named after him.
Will all this be enough to
tilt the balance in Wan Farid’s
favour? Will the two visits of
prime minister Datuk Seri Ab-
dullah Ahmad Badawi help?
Wan Farid was said to be
behind the more folksy and
campaign-wise
Wahid on nomina-
tion day – 42 to 58. My only worry
Those doing the is that the
assessment say presence of so
that support for many policemen may
him has inched up frighten the voters
since then and on
Wednesday it was while encouraging
48 to 52. And this many hantu to come
probably accounts out to do mischief.”
for the flurry of
SMSes, targeted at
fence-sitters, that
it does not matter if Wahid is
returned as it will not affect the
state government or significantly
reduce the strength of the BN
government at the federal level.
The response was “why
not elect Wan Farid as after
all Wahid is already a wakil
rakyat”. Targetted at the 9,300
or so Chinese voters are
messages that to vote for BN
would only make it, especially
Umno, feel that it is strong and
therefore would not embark
on steps to reform itself.
KUALA TERENGGANU: The Election Com-
mission (EC) expects the voter turnout in the
Kuala Terengganu parliamentary by-election
tomorrow to be about the same as that dur-
ing the general election last year.
Then, 82.45% or 66,231 of the 80,325
voters turned out to cast their ballots. The
constituency now has 80,229 voters, includ-
ing 1,302 postal voters.
Terengganu EC director Mohd Noor Daud
said yesterday the anticipation of a high voter
turnout was based on the heightened state
of awareness among the voters to exercise
their right. The EC will make available 36 poll-
ing centres for the by-election. – Bernama
Abdullah confident
of BN victory
KUALA TERENGGANU: Datuk Seri Abdul-
lah Ahmad Badawi said yesterday he was
confident of a Barisan Nasional (BN) victo-
ry in the Kuala Terengganu parliamentary
by-election tomorrow, judging from the
developments he had seen on his second
visit here during the campaigning.
“God willing, we can win, but we still
have to work very hard,” the prime min-
ister told reporters when asked on his
assessment of the by-election this time
compared to his first visit last week.
Umno Supreme Council member
Datuk Mustapa Mohamed also said BN is
confident the voters in the Kuala Tereng-
ganu will maintain the growing support
for its candidate until polling day.
He said support for Datuk Wan Ahmad
Farid Wan Salleh had picked up over the
last few days after the opposition parties
were seen to be dominant at the outset
of the campaign. – Bernama
Mat Razali quits as
returning officer
KUALA TERENGGANU: Kuala Terengganu
mayor Datuk Mat Razali Kassim has withdrawn
as the returning officer for the Kuala Tereng-
ganu parliamentary by-election, the Election
Commission (EC) announced yesterday.
EC secretary Datuk Ngah Senik said

SPICE
“It is still not unreasonable in a statement Wan Mustafa Wan Hassan,
to expect Wahid to win by a the secretary of the Kuala Terengganu City

UP
majority of about 2,000 votes,” Council, has been appointed with immediate

CHeeRY
said a PKR leader, Tan Sri effect as the returning officer. – Bernama
Khalid Ibrahim, on Monday.
TUESDAYS But Wan Farid may just MCA: Chinese voters
with Tuna have already crossed the 50%
mark. devoted to BN

YOUR
KUALA LUMPUR: The MCA is confident
Chinese voters in Terengganu will back the

IVELY
Barisan Nasional (BN) government in the

LWEDNESDAYS
DAY
Kuala Terengganu parliamentary by-election
on Saturday.
MCA vice-president Datuk Kong Cho Ha
with
said as Chinese voters always supported BN

WITH
Meatball Marinara
from the early days, he believed such a trend
would continue on election day.

FRESH
He said the Chinese were satisfied with
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