TheSun 2008-12-09 Page10 Battle of KT Vital Yardstick to Guage Political Support
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briefs news without borders 10 theSun | TUESDA Y DECEMBER 9 2008 By-election focus of BN Supreme Council meeting PUTRAJAYA: The Barisan Nasional (BN) Supreme Council meeting today will focus on the strate- gies and preparations for the Kuala Terengganu parliamentary by-election on Jan 17, BN secre- tary-general Tengku Datuk Seri Adnan Tengku Mansor said yesterday. “One of the strategies is to increase the 628-majority the BN candidate achieved in the general election this year,” he told reporters after witnessing an Aidiladha sacrificial slaughter ceremony here. “We will also have a strategy to ensure that the election workers focus on the by-election and do not take advantage of the opportunity to garner support for themselves at the Umno elections (set for March next year),” he said. He also said BN chairman, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, will an- nounce the name of its candidate for the by- election soon. – Bernama Wanita will unite to ensure big win: Shahrizat KUALA LUMPUR: Despite a contest for the top post in Wanita Umno, it will be able to move as a team to make sure of a huge vic- tory for Barisan Nasional (BN) in the Kuala Tereng ganu parliamentary by-election on Jan 17. Wanita Umno vice-chief Datuk Seri Shahrizat Abdul Jalil said yesterday the movement’s ability to work as a team was not affected by the contest. She said that although she was challeng- ing Tan Sri Rafidah Aziz for the top post, she would respect and carry out the directives issued by Rafidah. “Let me put it on record that there are no squabbles in Wanita Umno. Yes, there is a contest but it will only take place in March. The focus now is to ensure a huge win for the BN,” she said. Shahrizat spoke to reporters after distrib- uting sacrificial meat to nearly 500 Muslim converts in conjunction with Aidiladha or- ganised by the Islamic Welfare Association of Malaysia (Perkim) here. – Bernama ‘Battle of KT’ vital yardstick to gauge political support KUALA LUMPUR: A burning question has emerged on both sides of the political divide, revolving around Kuala Terengganu. Will the unrealised dream of Pakatan Rakyat (PR) to take over the federal government last Sept 16 cause the party to lose support and credibility and will Barisan Nasional (BN) begin to make a comeback to win the hearts and minds of voters this time around in Kuala Terengganu? This question has come to the fore as both sides are set to square off again on Jan 17 – this time in the Kuala Terengganu parliamentary by-election, now popularly known as “The Battle of KT”. Nomination is on Jan 6. Many political observers and analysts view this by-election as crucial in determining the current and future support for the BN and PR. The Kuala Terengganu seat fell vacant when incumbent Datuk Razali Ismail died of a heart attack on Nov 28. In 2004, he had defeated PAS executive council member Syed Azman Syed Ahmad by 1,933 votes. In the general election on March 8, Razali, who was the deputy education minister before his death, won by a slim 628 majority when he knocked out PAS strongman Mohammad Sabu and 89-year-old Maimun Yusuf in a three-way fight. The Kuala Terengganu parliamentary seat has always been a traditional battleground for BN (Umno) and PAS, and it will be interesting to see how both sides will woo the voters in the coming by-election, barely eight months after the general election, to prove their popularity. PKR information chief Tian Chua said the opposition front would adopt “a sophisticated way of campaigning” based on a multiracial platform. PKR is a component party of the PR alliance, the others being PAS and DAP. “As a mixed (or multiracial) party, we would have a s lightly different campaign strategy as the needs of the urban voters are different (from the rural voters),” he said. “It is the socio-economic background that will determine their decisions on who will be the winner, not their ethnicity.” Tian Chua felt the “internal tussle within Terengganu Umno” could dent BN’s prospects. Umno’s internal conflict was out in open on the selection of election candidates even before March 8 and this sparked another controversy after the elections, on the selection of the Terengganu mentri besar. However, some Terengganu Umno members deny the notion that internal bickering will put a spanner in the works as the so-called internal problems within Terengganu Umno have been reduced significantly after the general election. “The Kuala Terengganu Umno division is united and this was seen in the recent divisional elections,” a Kuala Terengganu Umno division committee member, who did not wish to be identified, told Bernama. For now, the name of Datuk Wan Farid Wan Salleh, who is also the deputy home affairs minister, is being bandied about as the front-runner to represent BN. Some political observers say internal bickering is a normal phenomenon in any political party as PAS also experienced similar problems in the past – between the moderates and conservatives. For example, in the coming by-election, the moderates are said to be favouring either Mat Sabu or Datuk Mustapha Ali to contest while the conservatives prefer locals such as Wan Mutalib Embong, the Terengganu PAS deputy commissioner. PAS secretary-general Datuk Kamaruddin Jaafar said: “I would be lying if I said there is no struggle between the moderates and conservatives. But what is more important is that when the candidate has been decided on, all factions will abide by that decision and the party machinery will come out in full force.” This time around, PAS has sent clear signals that it is targeting the Bandar state seat, the only state seat under the Kuala Terengganu parliamentary constituency that was won by the BN in the general election. Kamaruddin said PAS would increase its focus on Bandar, which comprised mainly non-Malay voters, while maintaining its edge in the Batu Burok, Wakaf Mempelam and Ladang state constituencies, which it won in March. Terengganu MCA chairman Toh Chin Yaw is unperturbed by PAS’s ambitions as he is quietly optimistic that support from the non-Malays, particularly the 11% Chinese voters, would remain in BN’s hands. “I think the balance of support will tilt to BN,” said Toh, who is the only Chinese executive council member in the state government. He defended his Bandar seat in the general election while the other three seats fell to PAS. – Bernama Overhaul bus licensing system, says Guan Eng SEBERANG PERAI: Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng has called for an overhaul in the system of awarding licences to bus companies to ensure safety and service standards are not compromised. He said companies that cannot cope with their losses should have their licences withdrawn. “These companies resort to cutting corners by compromising on safety standards and hiring under-qualified drivers,” he said at an Aidiladha ceremony at Kampung Gajah here yesterday. In what was seen as a reference to the ac- cident involving an express bus that killed 10 people at the North-South Expressway near Tangkak on Sunday, Lim expressed concern that such laxity in operations would increase the risk of highway accidents and d eaths. He also proposed that a new organisation take over the functions of the Commercial Vehicle Licensing Board (CVLB). “There is a lot of hanky panky going on in the issuance of licences,” he said. “If the CVLB is sleeping and people are alive, then it is all right. But if CVLB sleeps and people die, then there is a problem.” Miros says North-South Expressway safe JOHOR BARU: The 145km to 150km stretch of the North-South Expressway between Tang- kak and Pagoh in Muar district is straight and safe for all vehicles, says Malaysia Institut e of Road Safety Research (Miros). Its Vehicle Safety and Biomechanics Re- search Centre director, Associate Prof Wong Shaw Voon, said yesterday there is a slightly curved slope at 146.5km – the site of a fatal accident involving an express bus on Sunday morning. In the crash, 10 people were killed and 14 others injured. Wong said there is no guardrail at that stretch but hardwood trees. The stretch is generally safe for all vehicles unless an accident occurs and vehicles risk ramming into the hardwood trees, he told reporters at Sultanah Fatimah Specialist Hos- pital in Muar on Sunday night. The local residents have the described the stretch as an accident-prone area. – Ber- nama
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Transcript of TheSun 2008-12-09 Page10 Battle of KT Vital Yardstick to Guage Political Support
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briefs
news without borders10 theSun | TUESDAY DECEMBER 9 2008
By-election focus of BNSupreme Council meetingPUTRAJAYA: The Barisan Nasional (BN) SupremeCouncil meeting today will focus on the strate-gies and preparations for the Kuala Terengganuparliamentary by-election on Jan 17, BN secre-tary-general Tengku Datuk Seri Adnan TengkuMansor said yesterday.
“One of the strategies is to increase the628-majority the BN candidate achieved in thegeneral election this year,” he told reportersafter witnessing an Aidiladha sacricial slaughterceremony here.
“We will also have a strategy to ensure thatthe election workers focus on the by-electionand do not take advantage of the opportunityto garner support for themselves at the Umnoelections (set for March next year),” he said.
He also said BN chairman, Prime MinisterDatuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, will an-nounce the name of its candidate for the by-election soon. – Bernama
Wanita will unite to ensurebig win: ShahrizatKUALA LUMPUR: Despite a contest for thetop post in Wanita Umno, it will be able tomove as a team to make sure of a huge vic-tory for Barisan Nasional (BN) in the KualaTerengganu parliamentary by-election on
Jan 17.Wanita Umno vice-chief Datuk Seri
Shahrizat Abdul Jalil said yesterday themovement’s ability to work as a team wasnot affected by the contest.
She said that although she was challeng-ing Tan Sri Radah Aziz for the top post, shewould respect and carry out the directivesissued by Radah.
“Let me put it on record that there are nosquabbles in Wanita Umno. Yes, there is acontest but it will only take place in March.The focus now is to ensure a huge win forthe BN,” she said.
Shahrizat spoke to reporters after distrib-uting sacricial meat to nearly 500 Muslimconverts in conjunction with Aidiladha or-ganised by the Islamic Welfare Associationof Malaysia (Perkim) here. – Bernama
‘Battle of KT’vital yardstick
to gauge political supportKUALA LUMPUR: A burning question hasemerged on both sides of the political divide,revolving around Kuala Terengganu.
Will the unrealised dream of PakatanRakyat (PR) to take over the federalgovernment last Sept 16 cause the party tolose support and credibility and will BarisanNasional (BN) begin to make a comeback towin the hearts and minds of voters this timearound in Kuala Terengganu?
This question has come to the fore asboth sides are set to square off again onJan 17 – this time in the Kuala Terengganuparliamentary by-election, now popularlyknown as “The Battle of KT”. Nomination ison Jan 6.
Many political observers and analysts view this by-election as crucial indetermining the current and future support for the BN and PR.
The Kuala Terengganu seat fell vacant when incumbent Datuk Razali Ismail died of a heart attack on Nov 28.
In 2004, he had defeated PAS executivecouncil member Syed Azman Syed Ahmadby 1,933 votes.
In the general election on March 8, Razali,who was the deputy education ministerbefore his death, won by a slim 628 majoritywhen he knocked out PAS strongmanMohammad Sabu and 89-year-old MaimunYusuf in a three-way ght.
The KualaTerengganuparliamentaryseat has alwaysbeen a traditionalbattleground forBN (Umno) andPAS, and it will beinteresting to seehow both sideswill woo the votersin the comingby-election, barelyeight months afterthe general election,to prove their
popularity.PKR informationchief Tian Chuasaid the oppositionfront would adopt “asophisticated way of campaigning” based ona multiracial platform. PKR is a component party of the PR alliance, the others being PASand DAP.
“As a mixed (or multiracial) party, wewould have a s lightly different campaignstrategy as the needs of the urban voters aredifferent (from the rural voters),” he said.
“It is the socio-economic background that will determine their decisions on who will bethe winner, not their ethnicity.”
Tian Chuafelt the “internaltussle withinTerengganuUmno” could dent BN’s prospects.
Umno’s internalconict wasout in open onthe selection of election candidateseven beforeMarch 8 and thissparked anothercontroversy afterthe elections, on
the selection of the Terengganumentri besar.
However, someTerengganu Umno
members deny the notion that internalbickering will put a spanner in the worksas the so-called internal problems withinTerengganu Umno have been reducedsignicantly after the general election.
“The Kuala Terengganu Umno divisionis united and this was seen in the recent divisional elections,” a Kuala TerengganuUmno division committee member, whodid not wish to be identied, told Bernama.
For now, the name of Datuk Wan Farid
Wan Salleh, who is also the deputy homeaffairs minister, is being bandied about asthe front-runner to represent BN.
Some political observers say internalbickering is a normal phenomenon in anypolitical party as PAS also experiencedsimilar problems in the past – between themoderates and conservatives.
For example, in the coming by-election,the moderates are said to be favouringeither Mat Sabu or Datuk MustaphaAli to contest while the conservativesprefer locals such as Wan MutalibEmbong, the Terengganu PAS deputycommissioner.
PAS secretary-general DatukKamaruddin Jaafar said: “I would be lyingif I said there is no struggle between themoderates and conservatives. But what ismore important is that when the candidatehas been decided on, all factions will abideby that decision and the party machinerywill come out in full force.”
This time around, PAS has sent clearsignals that it is targeting the Bandar stateseat, the only state seat under the KualaTerengganu parliamentary constituencythat was won by the BN in the generalelection.
Kamaruddin said PAS would increase itsfocus on Bandar, which comprised mainlynon-Malay voters, while maintaining its
edge in the Batu Burok, Wakaf Mempelamand Ladang state constituencies, which it won in March.
Terengganu MCA chairman Toh ChinYaw is unperturbed by PAS’s ambitionsas he is quietly optimistic that support from the non-Malays, particularly the 11%Chinese voters, would remain in BN’shands.
“I think the balance of support will tilt to BN,” said Toh, who is the only Chineseexecutive council member in the stategovernment.
He defended his Bandar seat in thegeneral election while the other three seatsfell to PAS. – Bernama
Overhaul bus licensingsystem, says Guan EngSEBERANG PERAI: Penang Chief Minister LimGuan Eng has called for an overhaul in thesystem of awarding licences to bus companiesto ensure safety and service standards are notcompromised.
He said companies that cannot cope with theirlosses should have their licences withdrawn.
“These companies resort to cutting cornersby compromising on safety standards and hiringunder-qualied drivers,” he said at an Aidiladhaceremony at Kampung Gajah here yesterday.
In what was seen as a reference to the ac-cident involving an express bus that killed 10people at the North-South Expressway nearTangkak on Sunday, Lim expressed concern thatsuch laxity in operations would increase the riskof highway accidents and d eaths.
He also proposed that a new organisationtake over the functions of the Commercial VehicleLicensing Board (CVLB).
“There is a lot of hanky panky going on in theissuance of licences,” he said.
“If the CVLB is sleeping and people are alive,then it is all right. But if CVLB sleeps and peopledie, then there is a problem.”
Miros says North-SouthExpressway safe
JOHOR BARU: The 145km to 150km stretch of the North-South Expressway between Tang-kak and Pagoh in Muar district is straight andsafe for all vehicles, says Malaysia Institute of Road Safety Research (Miros).
Its Vehicle Safety and Biomechanics Re-search Centre director, Associate Prof WongShaw Voon, said yesterday there is a slightlycurved slope at 146.5km – the site of a fatalaccident involving an express bus on Sundaymorning.
In the crash, 10 people were killed and 14others injured.
Wong said there is no guardrail at thatstretch but hardwood trees.
The stretch is generally safe for all vehiclesunless an accident occurs and vehicles riskramming into the hardwood trees, he toldreporters at Sultanah Fatimah Specialist Hos-pital in Muar on Sunday night.
The local residents have the describedthe stretch as an accident-prone area. – Ber-nama
