Asia
Asia
Supporters of Parti Islam Se-Malaysia gather during the election nomination day in Pekan on April 28, 2018. (File photo: Mohd Rasfan/AFP)
TERENGGANU: Malaysia’s Perikatan Nasional (PN) coalition said it expects to make a clean sweep in Terengganu by capturing all eight parliamentary seats in the upcoming Nov 19 general election.
PN’s coalition members Parti Islam Se-Malaysia (PAS) and Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (Bersatu) will contest seven seats and one seat respectively.
Voters in the state said they want opportunities and not just handouts from candidates running for those seats.
“I want the leaders to open their eyes, to give us fishing rods, not the fish which is ready on the table,” said Terengganu resident Sharifah Umikelsom Syed Ali, 49, who recently started a small spa business. She added that she has high hopes for the candidates.
PAS secured huge victories in Terengganu during the 2018 general election, when the ruling Barisan Nasional (BN) coalition was ousted after over six decades in power. It captured 22 out of the 32 state seats.
At the federal level, PAS won six out of the eight parliamentary seats, while BN only won two.
The party is confident that it will do even better this election, aiming to snap up all seven seats it is contesting in Terengganu, despite multi-cornered fights. It also expects Bersatu to win its seat, resulting in a clean victory for PN.
“According to our calculations, aside from any unusual events, we predict that the seats in Besut and Hulu Terengganu will be won by Perikatan Nasional,” said Ahmad Amzad Hashim, the PAS candidate eyeing the Kuala Terengganu parliamentary seat.
“This means that for the 15th general election, PAS aims for a victory of 8-0,” added Ahmad Amzad, who is also Malaysia’s deputy minister for science, technology and innovation.
However, with a more discerning electorate which has been under PAS leadership for the past four years, the target of a clean sweep may not be easily achieved.
“After the change of governments, we were treated like step-children. There were broken promises. They promised one thing, but acted differently,” said Terengganu resident Norzila Ali.
“When it rains, many frogs jump,” said Jaafar, another Terengganu resident, referring to politicians who jump to other parties or switch their allegiance. “We want a stable, consistent, and strong government that can rule.”
The Terengganu government administered by PAS has decided to hold state elections next year due to concerns of floods during the monsoon season, and opponents in the state are viewing this as an advantage.
“Let’s say Barisan Nasional wins (the Federal election), this will have an impact on the state election,” said Tengku Haphiz Tengku Putera, Terengganu youth chief of the United Malays National Organisation (UMNO).
“Because Terengganu residents will see that if at the Malaysian Federal (level) we implement good policies, why not return Barisan Nasional rule in Terengganu?”
UMNO is the biggest party in the BN coalition.
Apart from the main players, other opponents are also eager to make inroads into Terengganu with hopes that votes for the dominating parties are split.
“UMNO and PAS are the two main political parties in Terengganu. There is fierce competition,” said Raja Kamarul Bahrin Shah, a Parti Amanah Negara (Amanah) candidate vying for the Kuala Terengganu parliamentary seat.
“Let’s say they each get the same number of (state) seats – 13 PAS, 13 UMNO – and we can get six. Who will then be the kingmaker? God willing, we can determine the landscape in Terengganu,” he added.
In 2018, PAS fought the election largely on its own. But this year, it is part of the PN coalition.
Observers say that PAS, as part of the more moderate PN coalition, can appeal to voters who are concerned or uncomfortable with the Islamic party’s conservative views.
“The fact that Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin is the coalition’s figurehead gives these voters some relief that the government they are voting in is not just PAS, but much more moderate and something which is more suitable to their political appetite,” said Yahya Aziz, an executive at consulting firm KRA Group.
However, all parties under the PN coalition campaigning in Terengganu and Kelantan, including Bersatu, will use the PAS logo. Voters in these two states are more familiar with PAS’ green-and-white moon symbol compared to PN’s logo.
While PAS may be confident of a good showing in Terengganu, observers have cautioned that there are more than half a million voters under the age of 40 in the state, who are likely to swing the results of this election.
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