Campaigning In Hotly-Contested Terengganu Expected To Be Intense
TERENGGANU : Campaigning in Terengganu in the run-up to the Malaysian general elections is expected to be intense.
Party activists from both the ruling Barisan Nasional (BN) and the opposition party PAS are going door-to-door to win the confidence of voters, and both sides are targeting the fence-sitters.
This is after all a hotly-contested state since the ruling coalition had grabbed it back from PAS, in the last election.
Terengganu Chief Minister Idris Jusoh hopes the ongoing election campaign leading up to polling day on March 8 will be a smooth and peaceful process.
The nomination of candidates proceeded without event. But the gloves are expected to come off, once campaigning shifts into high gear.
Leading the BN team in Terengganu is Mr Idris.
He has brought growth and development to the state since taking charge in 2004. So he is confident that he has got what it takes to retain his seat.
The Chief Minister said, “The economy is doing (well) now, people are being taken care of. As far as the people in the kampong are concerned, the price of palm oil is good, the price of rubber is good. The salary of the government officers has been raised, so there are no real issues actually. But for sure the opposition will come up with some issues which will touch the people.”
The people in Terengganu have seen how both the current BN candidate compares with his predecessor from PAS.
Many people are most concerned about their day-to-day life.
Abdul Ghani Abdullah, a fisherman, said, “If it’s possible, we just want the government to give us land so that we can have our own home. PAS or BN, both parties are the same.”
But Terengganu’s development has not quite remained the same since the BN took over four years ago.
The constant in the state though is how winning over the rural poor will become central in the intense campaigning that follows after Nomination Day.
Over the next few days leading up to Polling Day, candidates from both sides will be travelling across the state of Terengganu, visiting various constituencies.
One group in particular, the women party activists, are expected to play a key role in helping voters decide who they want to be their voice in both state and parliamentary assemblies. - CNA/ms
Channel News Asia