The people of Kuala Terengganu verdict on their chosen representative was delivered on January 17, 2009 via the Parliament by-election (buy-election in UMNO/BN's context) where PAS candidate Mohd Abdul Wahid Endut triumph over BN's Datuk Wan Ahmad Farid Wan Salleh with a 2,631-vote majority.
What's interesting to note here is that, the vote swing did not happened on voting day!
The swing to Pakatan Rakayat (PR) took place even before the Election Commission announced the seat vacant due to the UMNO internal conflicts which truly exposed the weak leadership and governing of the nation. The wasted public money projects of Taman Tamadun Islam, Heritage Bay and Monsoon Cup had effectively thrown BN's challenge in the by-election out of proportion.
The moment EC announced the candidates on nomination day, PR had smell victory as BN was left stumped with the clean records of the Mohd Abdul Wahid against the tainted BN candidate. It was not PR that had defeated BN outright but the internal politics of BN (with UMNO Ketuanan Melayu rhetorics) had caused the downfall.
Terengganu folks are humble and easy going but having a reinforcement of a near 6,000 police personnel setting camp during the period is simply too much for the people. Was this necessary and unprecedented in any elections though Terengganu had always been "kawasan panas" in the Malaysian police context. It is simply intimidating to the voters and an indication of what the Government mind games are which made the votes switch to PAS.
Every Terengganu folks know that there is 2 Menteri Besar for that state, the Federal Government recognised i.e. Idris Jusoh and the current state administration which is not recognised by the Abdullah Badawi administration. Again the recipe for failure had been set by the split and disagreement internally.
UMNO was left seen to battle in Terengganu by-election campaign with little help from MCA while the other BN component parties seem "left-out" from the battle front against a united PR. This had effectively removed the notion that PR component parties are in disagreement. The final nail in BN's coffin was when PAS spiritual leader Nik Aziz and DAP's Lim Kit Siang declared that for Hudud Law to be implemented, there would be discussions before decisions made.
The threatening tactics by BN on GLCs and government employees in Terengganu had created fear which perhaps prevented from a major catastrophe for BN. Had it not been done with the vote buying campaign inlcluding lucky draws, it would definitely had been a landslide victory for PAS. BN had to do that realising that government employees in the state had no confidence in the present Government, similar to all Malaysians outside the oil rich state.
It is now confirmed that the "308" Tsunami had subside into a typhoon which would pick up speed again which looks threatening to Malaysian political landscape after 51 years of independence. If it hits, it will wipe out whatever remnants of BN and expose the "skeletons buried" by the BN administration.
VIVA LA PAS! Pangkah Bule!
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