THERE is a buzz in Terengganu and it is coming from the PAS camp.

The Islamist party believes that when the elections results for the east coast state are tallied at GE14, it will see PAS winning 18 of the 32 seats and taking control of the legislature for the first time since 1999.

A chief reason for the optimism: the chronic in-fighting among Umno warlords in the state and the inability of the current Mentri Besar Ahmad Razif Abdul Rahman to inspire unity. 

The in-fighting is affecting party activities at the village level, where fewer events are being held. 

Indeed, the talk from Putrajaya is that deputy minister for communications Jailani Johari and current MP for Hulu Terengganu could be fielded in a state seat and flagged as a future MB to rally the Umno troops in the state.

PAS grassroots leaders also believe that the party’s zeal in pushing through amendments to the shariah law have won over more supporters in a state that is one of the most conservative in Malaysia.

The bill to strengthen the Islamic penal code known as RUU355 is unlikely to be passed by Parliament but PAS president Hadi Awang and other PAS MPS were given the floor of the federal legislature to make a case for it.

The party has milked that unprecedented event as a sign of how far it has come as a political force in Malaysia, and how successful it has been in furthering the Islamic agenda in the country.

Such is the optimism on the ground that even the possibility of PKR or Amanah fielding candidates has not dulled talk of regaining control of the state.

PAS politicians interviewed by The Malaysian Insight said Malay voters in Terengganu only give their votes to PAS or Umno, and with Umno weakened by factions, the way is clear for the Islamist party.

No threat in PKR, Amanah

Party leaders scoff at the threat posed by PKR or Amanah.

“Just look at the last general election (2013), the PKR candidate that contested only got a few hundred votes when they went head on with PAS and BN in the area,” said Zakaria Abdul Rahman, a PAS branch committee member in Marang.

In the last general election, PAS had decided to field three candidates in seats contested by PKR in Terengganu despite being part of the the Pakatan Rakyat coalition.

This move forced three cornered fights between PAS, BN and PKR at the Seberang Takir, Kota Putera and Bukit Besi state seats. The results were disastrous for PKR candidates with each of them losing their deposits.

The PKR candidate at Seberang Takir obtained only 73 votes, while the PKR candidates for Kota Putera and Bukit Besi obtainec 60 and 52 votes respectively.

“That is what will happen to the three cornered fight candidates from PKR, Amanah or Bersatu if they were to contest our seats here in Terengganu,” said Zakaria, who has been part of the party’s command centre for the last few general elections.

He estimates that PAS Terengganu will win 18 out of the 32 seats on offer in Terengganu.

But what about Amanah, the party set up by former Pas stalwarts?

Mohd Nor Abdullah, a committee member of the Marang branch, said: “When it was initially started, there were a few people who attended their ceramahs.

“After that, the supporters of Amanah went silent. In addition, Amanah is only riding on DAP to win seats.”

He also did not believe that PAS members in the state would join Amanah because their loyalty was to the party’s struggle and not any particular leader.

“If Abdul Hadi Awang were to jump party, we would also stay with PAS,” said Mohd Nor.

To prove this point, not one person from the more than 100 in the Belukar Sukai branch joined Amanah when the party was formed. – May 29, 2017.