undi lah PAS
BN’s uphill battle
Malay Mail (6/1/09): While their focus today should be on nominations, the Barisan Nasional camp congregating in force for the Kuala Terengganu by-election is saddled with a headache it doesn’t need.
Sources within BN claimed that four factions have emerged within the Kuala Terengganu division after Datuk Wan Ahmad Farid Wan Salleh was chosen as the candidate for the ruling coalition.
While "sulking is a normal practice in any by-election", a source said BN now has the uneviable task of uniting the the factions who have not been helping each other in the run-up to the campaign launched two weeks ago by Umno deputy president, Datuk Seri Najib Razak.
One faction is aligned to Wan Ahmad Farid, who is also the Kuala Terengganu Umno division chief; the other two with Menteri Besar Datuk Ahmad Said and his predecessor Datuk Seri Idris Jusoh; while the fourth comprises veteran members from the State.
"While the two factions involving the MB and the former MB have had a history of animosity, the faction comprising veteran members cropped up two months ago following the divisional annual general assemblies (AGMs)," said an insider.
He said Wan Ahmad Farid, who won the division’s chief post, had sidelined the veterans in the division and this is now having repercussions in the by-election.
"The veterans are boycotting the campaign and this spells trouble as these veterans are close and known to the voters. The young members aligned to Wan Ahmad Farid are now taking the lead in the campaign and this is not good," he said.
Being the head of the by-election campaign, Najib has a lot of work to do.
Uniting the factions within Umno is not easy as was the case in the Permatang Pauh parliamentary by-election in August last year. It was said that Umno leaders had to spend one-third of the campaigning time patching up internal splits.
Here in Kuala Terengganu, there is already talk of a sequel to Permatang Pauh. The ground was further shaking with talks that Wan Ahmad Farid is not going to have it easy as Mohd Abdul Wahid Endut is said to be a hugely popular candidate.
With three of the four State constituencies in the Kuala Terengganu parliamentary constituency coming under Pas, BN is assured of support only in the Bandar State constituency. The three State constituencies under Pas are Ladang, Batu Buruk and Wakaf Mempelam.
Mohd Abdul Wahid is also the Wakaf Mempelam State assemblyman, having held the seat for five terms.
In an obvious attempt to rattle the opposition, BN is focusing on Wakaf Mempelam by holding most of its campaign ceramah there. On Sunday alone, four ceramah were held there, while another four were held yesterday with big guns like International Trade and Industry Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin and Regional and Rural Development Minister Tan Sri Muhammad Muhd Taib among the speakers.
Save for bread and butter issues, there are no other major ones being discussed by the voters in the constituency. (Zainal Epi)
Malay Mail (6/1/09): While their focus today should be on nominations, the Barisan Nasional camp congregating in force for the Kuala Terengganu by-election is saddled with a headache it doesn’t need.
Sources within BN claimed that four factions have emerged within the Kuala Terengganu division after Datuk Wan Ahmad Farid Wan Salleh was chosen as the candidate for the ruling coalition.
While "sulking is a normal practice in any by-election", a source said BN now has the uneviable task of uniting the the factions who have not been helping each other in the run-up to the campaign launched two weeks ago by Umno deputy president, Datuk Seri Najib Razak.
One faction is aligned to Wan Ahmad Farid, who is also the Kuala Terengganu Umno division chief; the other two with Menteri Besar Datuk Ahmad Said and his predecessor Datuk Seri Idris Jusoh; while the fourth comprises veteran members from the State.
"While the two factions involving the MB and the former MB have had a history of animosity, the faction comprising veteran members cropped up two months ago following the divisional annual general assemblies (AGMs)," said an insider.
He said Wan Ahmad Farid, who won the division’s chief post, had sidelined the veterans in the division and this is now having repercussions in the by-election.
"The veterans are boycotting the campaign and this spells trouble as these veterans are close and known to the voters. The young members aligned to Wan Ahmad Farid are now taking the lead in the campaign and this is not good," he said.
Being the head of the by-election campaign, Najib has a lot of work to do.
Uniting the factions within Umno is not easy as was the case in the Permatang Pauh parliamentary by-election in August last year. It was said that Umno leaders had to spend one-third of the campaigning time patching up internal splits.
Here in Kuala Terengganu, there is already talk of a sequel to Permatang Pauh. The ground was further shaking with talks that Wan Ahmad Farid is not going to have it easy as Mohd Abdul Wahid Endut is said to be a hugely popular candidate.
With three of the four State constituencies in the Kuala Terengganu parliamentary constituency coming under Pas, BN is assured of support only in the Bandar State constituency. The three State constituencies under Pas are Ladang, Batu Buruk and Wakaf Mempelam.
Mohd Abdul Wahid is also the Wakaf Mempelam State assemblyman, having held the seat for five terms.
In an obvious attempt to rattle the opposition, BN is focusing on Wakaf Mempelam by holding most of its campaign ceramah there. On Sunday alone, four ceramah were held there, while another four were held yesterday with big guns like International Trade and Industry Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin and Regional and Rural Development Minister Tan Sri Muhammad Muhd Taib among the speakers.
Save for bread and butter issues, there are no other major ones being discussed by the voters in the constituency. (Zainal Epi)
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