Even if PAS wins Besut, ‘BN will rule’
(Bernama) – The result of the Kuala Besut by-election will not lead to a change of the Terengganu state government led by the Barisan Nasional (BN).
Umno information chief Ahmad Maslan said although the position would end up 16-16 should the opposition win the seat, the State Assembly Speaker Mohd Zubir Embong would make it 17-16 to keep BN in power.
In the 13th general election (GE-13), BN won 17 seats while the opposition won 15 seats in Terengganu.
It was enough for Menteri Besar Ahmad Said to form the Terengganu state government.
The Kuala Besut state seat fell vacant following the death of its state assemblyman Dr A Rahman Mokhtar of lung cancer on June 26.
Ahmad Maslan, who is also Deputy Minister of Finance, said the result of the Kuala Besut by-election is very important to BN to ensure political stability in Terengganu.
“BN is ready to face the by-election and does not rule out the possibility it will be held during Ramadan (fasting month),” he told reporters after visiting former Kampung Tok Saboh Wanita Umno branch leader Wan Mek Wan Embong, 93, here yesterday.
Earlier Besut Umno division said it will submit to Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak a list of potential local candidates acceptable to the people, for selection to stand in the upcoming Kuala Besut state seat by-election.
Division chairman Idris Jusoh said Umno had many eligible candidates originating from Kuala Besut and the choice would be made by Najib before the announcement of the by-election date by the Election Commission.
“We have likeable candidates with caliber who include educators, religious experts and administrative officers,” he said.
He said this at a press conference after a by-election coordinating meeting with Ahmad Maslan and the Umno Liaison Committee here.
Idris, who is also Second Education Minister, said Besut was still a rural area with the majority of the residents being fishermen who were simple-minded and friendly.
“But they know who they prefer and if they don’t like the candidate, it’ll be difficult for that individual to influence them. If they know and like the person, they will easily cooperate with him in whatever matter,” he added.
So, he said, it was important for Umno to ensure that the candidate would win in the by-election with a bigger majority than that won by Rahman.
In the recent 13th general election, Rahman defeated Napisah Ismail from PAS with a 2,434-vote majority.
Idris hoped the people of Kuala Besut would choose the BN candidate to avoid problems for the ruling state government in developing the constituency.
