Is PAS under threat?
(Malaysian Mirror) – KUALA KRAI – In less than 48 hours, the more than 12,000 voters in Manek Urai will choose the candidate and party to represent them after many years being under PAS rule.
If before the nomination of candidates, PAS was ahead with 60 per cent of the support and Barisan Nasional had 40 per cent, the gap is said to be narrowing while some even feel that PAS' hold on Manek Urai is being threatened by BN.
This is because a number of PAS' strongholds such as Chuchoh Puteri, Sungai Sok and Lata Rek have been "infiltrated" by the BN by-election machinery. Previously, this was impossible.
The younger generation who yearn for development for the area is another contributing factor to the scenario.
Political maturity
Focus has also been given to polling areas with a high concentration of voters like Sungai Perial with 2,019 voters, the highest among the nine polling areas in Manek Urai.
Political observers view the situation as a measure of the voters' political maturity, while there have been no pressing issues raised except that both sides tried to play up issues which are close to the thinking of East Coast Malays.
PAS is still relying on Islamic issues and accusing the federal government of treating the Kelantan government like a step child over the oil royalty claim, while BN has promised development in Manek Urai and making it the federal government's "favoured child".
Voter sentiments are also said to be not as strong or enthusiastic as in the Bukit Gantang parliamentary seat by-election with the Perak political crisis being among the hot issues, while its voters are multiracial unlike Manek Urai where Malays make up about 99.2 per cent of the voters.
These voters are mostly rubber smallholders or tappers and this has limited the spectrum of issues that could be manipulated by the opposition.
