Looking to the future: Two children hanging out at Pantai Batu Pelanduk, Terengganu. The state is one of six going to the polls. — Bernama
KUALA TERENGGANU: As six states prepare for elections, Terengganu will be of key interest – it’s a swing state where both incumbents and challengers are optimistic of victory.
The battle for control of the state will largely hinge on what is expected to be heated contests in 16 to 19 seats.
At least 16 seats were won with slim margins of fewer than 2,000 votes during the 14th General Election (GE14) in 2018 and are mostly in the rural northern, eastern and southern parts of the state.
PAS captured two of the seats from Umno then, winning by fewer than 2,200 votes in the oil-rich state now governed by the Islamist party, which is part of the Perikatan Nasional alliance along with Bersatu.
It will be an intriguing contest in these constituencies as political parties need to win 17 seats to form a simple majority in the 32-seat assembly.
The contests for these seats will be waged largely by veteran leaders from Umno and PAS, two parties with deep roots in Terengganu, and which have both ruled the state at different periods since Merdeka.
“Our target is 17 to 18 seats, just enough to form a government,” said Terengganu Barisan deputy chief Datuk Nik Dir Nik Wan Ku.
Barisan sees the target as achievable due to the slim margins of victory in the previous election. Barisan holds nine of the 17 seats, while it may have a safe seat in Telemung, which it won with a 4,000-vote majority.
Nik Dir said Barisan was counting on defending its seats and regaining seven it had lost to PAS in GE14. The seven seats are Kota Putera, Kuala Berang, Air Putih, Ajil, Pengkalan Berangan, Jabi and Bandar.
To boost its chances, Barisan is fielding veteran Umno leaders who are either incumbents or former state assemblymen who had lost in GE14.
They include former deputy minister Datuk Seri Jailani Johari for Ajil, former Jertih state assemblyman Datuk Mohammad Pehimi Yusof in Kota Putera and Nik Dir himself in Pengkalan Berangan.
“To reach the target of 17 to 18 seats, we need about a 10% swing from voters. I think it is achievable now that we are part of the unity government,” Nik Dir told The Star.
Perikatan is well aware of the challenge it faces and is also fielding its own incumbents and heavyweights in these seats.
These include PAS incumbents Mohd Nurkhuzaini Ab Rahman for Kota Putera, Maliaman Kassim for Ajil and Sulaiman Sulong for Pengkalan Berangan.
Terengganu Bersatu chief Senator Datuk Razali Idris said Perikatan was confident that the voter trend from GE15 would continue in the state polls.
In a record-setting achievement, Perikatan managed to capture all eight of Terengganu’s parliamentary seats, thanks to what was dubbed a “green wave” of young voters.
“These same young voters are still backing us and the momentum showed in GE15 will be translated to the state polls,” said Razali, who is taking on Terengganu Barisan chief Datuk Seri Ahmad Said in Kijal.
So confident is Perikatan of maintaining its hold on Terengganu that its war-cry is now “32-0”, meaning that it aims to win every seat on Aug 12.
That, however, remains to be seen.
