Kuala Terengganu by-election: The issues argued out

Some of the BN and PR campaigners – hundreds of locals who are backed by thousands from the other states – say there are no local issues as the constituency is well looked after as it is the state capital. 

Zainon Ahmad, The Sun Daily

What is being debated in this by-election? What do the thousands of campaigners say to the voters to convince them to vote for either Barisan Nasional's Datuk Wan Ahmad Farid Wan Salleh or PAS' Mohd Abdul Wahid Endut on Jan 17.

For Independent Azharuddin Mamat, it is the least of his worries. The traditional healer is going door-to-door to persuade poor people that if he wins he is going to help them with the allowances paid to him.

But what are deputy BN chairman Datuk Seri Najib Razak, who is spearheading the coalition’s campaign, and state chief Datuk Ahmad Said and other local and national leaders saying.

And what are the leaders of the loose Pakatan Rakyat coalition of PKR, DAP and PAS, Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, Lim Kit Siang, Datuk Nik Aziz Nik Mat and PAS president Datuk Abdul Hadi saying?

If the way to influence the voters is through a poster war, which was one of the local strategies in the past, there does not seem much "banner jungles" or "poster thickets" around.

Maybe not yet. Because of the monsoon, most of the posters are probably saved for the last few days of campaigning. Also the city council has placed some limitations as to where posters can be put up. Certainly not on the favoured spots of the parties, the bridges.

Some of the BN and PR campaigners – hundreds of locals who are backed by thousands from the other states – say there are no local issues as the constituency is well looked after as it is the state capital. Others say there are. And that is why even the Israeli massacre of Palestinians is mentioned in many PAS and PKR ceramahs, including those by Anwar and the Islamic party vice-president Ahmad Sabu and its state commissioner, Datuk Mustapha Ali, where Umno or the BN has been compared to Israel.

And they say that is probably why Anwar continues to raise national issues, including the Eurocopter deal, closed tenders and corruption in high places at the federal level.

The also say that these issues plus the uncaptioned posters of Altantuya Shaariibu found in some parts of the city before they were torn down were meant to discredit Najib, to undermine his efforts to revive the BN, and to force him to call for early general election.

Anwar was on the defensive when it comes to the issues of the PR breaking up and the hudud which PAS wants implemented. He blamed the media which he described as belonging to the BN for the impression of disunity within the new coalition.

Among other issues popular with most PKR and PAS campaigners are the teaching of Mathematics and Science in English and the rescheduling of Mandarin news to prime time slot on RTM.

Debating the issues raised were Najib, the mentri besar, ministers, deputy ministers, exco members and a host of BN MPs and assemlymen and members of Pemuda Umno, Wanita and Puteri.

Many of them made much of Anwar’s Sept 16 bluff. Najib told voters that it was best that they concentrate on deciding who they want as their representive instead of being swayed by arguments that this by-election is a referendum on him and Mentri Besar Datuk Ahmad Said.

Bandar assemblyman Toh Chin Yew and election worker Cheah Chin Chin put up posters at the Kampung Cina BN operations room yesterday

Even the late deputy education minister Datuk Razali Ismail who captured Kuala Terengganu in 2004 and successfully defended it in the March 8 general election were praised by both sides to tap into his bank of supporters.

Of course there are local issues, said Hadi, who was mentri besar from 1999 to 2004. He pointed to the petroleum royalty issue and the abuse of the funds on lavish projects like the monsoon cup and the quarter billion ringgit Taman Tamadun Islam or the Islamic Civilisation Park.

"These are projects that do not benefit the people," he said.

Not true, counters Terengganu BN leaders who say that the project was to draw tourists to the state capital, part of an effort to make tourism the number one money earner after the oil wells have dried up.

Wan Farid , a first time candidate, said he has been solving many small local problems, including one where a morning jogger complained that he could not go on his run till the sun came up as the street lights were switched off at 6am.

He was also trying to get the authorities to act on the complaints of the people of Wakaf Memperlam, the state constituency of his challenger Wahid , about poor drainage and problems of sanitation.

Wahid told voters to elect him as he had a lot of reporting to do to the national legislature about corruption in high places in Terengganu. "We cannot depend on BN MPs to do it," he said.

Some how much of the wooing is in Kampung China for the 8,000 or so Chinese voters. It probably makes sense as in a constituency where most of the Malays are equally divided into Umno and PAS supporters, the Chinese hold the balance.