Victory in Terengganu constituency will signal Malaysians' support for ruling coalition: Najib
By
Teo Cheng Wee
KUALA LUMPUR - A BY-ELECTION in Terengganu has been touted as a referendum for Malaysia's ruling coalition under its next leader.
Prime minister-designate Najib Razak has admitted as much, saying that the electoral contest next month is one that it 'has to win'.
Speaking at the launch of the state's election machinery late on Saturday, he stressed that a victory for Barisan Nasional (BN) in the Jan17 by-election would 'give a clear signal to the country and the world' that the ruling coalition retains the support of most Malaysians.
'We have to win because we want to make the victory a starting point for Barisan's and Umno's revival from the defeat in Permatang Pauh,' said Datuk Seri Najib.
About 80,000 voters will be eligible to vote for a new MP in the constituency next month, following the death of the incumbent from BN last month.
Although the results will not change BN's control of Parliament, the polls will be seen as a bellwether of the Malay heartland vote. The seat was won by a hair's breadth in March, in a state that has always been tricky for the ruling coalition.
The Kuala Terengganu constituency was held by BN in 1986, then went to the opposition in 1990, back to BN in 1995, then to the opposition in 1999, and back to BN in 2004 and this year.
The constituency is 88.2per cent Malay, with nearly 11per cent Chinese. Indians form 0.6per cent of the electorate, and other races such as the Orang Asli form the remaining 0.2per cent.
Mr Najib reminded BN election workers not to overlook Chinese and Indian votes, amid talk that if the Malays are equally split between BN and the opposition, the Chinese voters will be kingmakers.
If the Chinese swing to the opposition, it will prove that Umno has further alienated the non-Malay votes since the March general election.
Recent issues, such as the suggestion of merging vernacular schools with national ones, have been played up in the Chinese press and could fan anti-government sentiments, political analyst James Chin told The Straits Times.
He added that the opposition is keenly aware of this, and that the Chinese-based opposition Democratic Action Party is expected to canvass hard for votes.
A loss in Terengganu will also be a blow to Mr Najib's credibility ahead of his rise to the premiership, as he is expected to spearhead campaigning for the by-election.
Mr Najib is slated to succeed Prime Minister Abdullah Badawi by April.
The deputy PM said he will announce the name of the Umno candidate representing BN in the by-election this week.
He told reporters he has received a shortlist of five names from Umno, and one of them will be picked to contest the seat against a candidate from Parti Islam SeMalaysia (PAS).
Umno sources have said that Kuala Terengganu division chief Senator Wan Farid Wan Salleh is the most likely person to be chosen. Datuk Wan Farid is also Deputy Home Minister. PAS is expected to name its candidate on Sunday.
