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(TODAYonline) - Malaysian Deputy Prime Minister Najib Razak, slated to take over the top post in March, will face a major test when Terengganu holds a by-election next month.

The Election Commission announced on Friday that the vote — which was triggered by the death of Umno MP and Deputy Education Minister Razali Ismail — would be held on Jan 17, with parties to declare their candidates on Jan 6.

Mr Najib's United Malays National Organisation (Umno) is expected to face the opposition Parti Islam SeMalaysia (PAS) in what one analyst described as a "classic battle between two Malay political parties in a Malay heartland".

The event comes at an unfortunate time for Umno, which leads the Barisan Nasional (BN) coalition that was humbled in the March elections. Since then, it has been in a state of disarray that is unlikely to be resolved until its annual assembly next March, when Mr Najib is expected to replace Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi.

Infighting and rivalries caused Umno to lose an August by-election that allowed opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim to return to Parliament.

Analysts said Umno faces a tough fight against PAS, which along with Mr Anwar's Keadilan party and the Chinese-based Democratic Action Party (DAP), makes up the opposition alliance.

"If PAS wins, it means the people do not believe Umno's reform programme. It means their sentiments against the ruling party ...  are still there," said Mr James Chin, a professor of political science at the Kuala Lumpur campus of Monash university.

"It could also demonstrate that voters do not have confidence in Najib Razak's leadership and believe that Umno is not capable of any reform," he told AFP.

Mr Najib has promised to make good on Mr Abdullah's unfulfilled promises of change. But there are doubts whether Umno is able to undergoing the changes that voters are demanding.

The by-election in Kuala Terengganu — which Umno won by a 628-majority in March  —  "could not have come at a worse possible time for Umno and Barisan", The Star newspaper said.

The newspaper said that a major factor would be the 11 per cent of Chinese voters among the more than 80,000 eligible to vote. Malaysia's ethnic Chinese and Indian communities abandoned the coalition in the March polls.

A victory would be a major boost for the opposition PAS party, which lost control of Terengganu state in 2004, after having alienating voters with extreme measures such as enacting Islamic "hudud" laws.

Since then, it has dropped its hard-line rhetoric and tried to reach out to Malaysia's minorities.

Comments (13)

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written by Oscar Winner, December 06, 2008 11:30:01

UMNO will abuse power and use machinations,
To win big in KT and then have a celebration.
They can’t afford to lose in this by-election
If they lose again… it will be bye-bye erection……

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written by ahmadneil, December 06, 2008 12:32:10

Umno will lose terribly and let this be another shame umno will face. Landslide for PAS.Najis will have to resign to take full responsibility for this defeat.

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written by ahmadneil, December 06, 2008 12:37:37

Jangan undi umno.umno selalu bohong!

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written by Frankfurtguy, December 06, 2008 12:40:57

Rakyat KT
Undilah bijak bijak
Tunjukkan BN apa itu "Ketuanan Rakyat"
Tunjukkan mereka "Rakyat ialah tuanpunya Malaysia, bukan Najib atau Rosmah!"

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written by borneoman, December 06, 2008 12:41:05

everytime you put a x for umno in a poll you are actually marking the number of days you loose your freedom in your own homeland.

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written by Mark C, December 06, 2008 12:51:03

no need to campaign lah, ppl in KT....be brave and do the right thing! Just cross "X" on any box that is not the BN.......

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written by New Malaysian, December 06, 2008 12:55:06

It will be an interesting battle.

What ammunition will be used? Will both sides bend backwards to win the largely Malay electorate? Will each jostle to be The Malay Champion? Will PAS throw caution to the winds and wind up Islamic sentiments? Will PKR even feature significantly? And will MCA have a role at all to capture the small but maybe important 11%? And whither MIC???

New Malaysian

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written by Apek, December 06, 2008 13:37:34

Di medan pertempuran berdiri UMNO dan sekutunya yang melambagkan keangkuhan ahli-ahli mereka, pandai memperlagakan kebodohan menteri-menterinya, kesemuanya tamak dan gila kuasa, boleh membohong rakyat tanpa simpati, rela menggunakan propoganda Islam (kononnya) untuk memperdayakan yang bergama, boleh menyelewangkan dana orang miskin untuk poket sendiri, sedia menggadaikan kaum sendiri walaupun mengatakan sebaliknya, menggunakan hujahan kuota Melayu untuk membolot projek kerajaan untuk sendiri, suka menggunakan isu kaum dan Islam untuk memecah-belahkan Rakyat Malaysia, tidak cukup tidur, tidak tahu apa yang berlaku di PKFZ ataupun Budget Negara, tidak tahu menahu bagaimana ekonomi Malaysia boleh dipertahankan dalam keadaan krisis kewangan, hanya tahu memainkan isu ketuanan tetapi bukan kewangan kukuh, hanya akan memberikan projek kerajaan jika 'dibayar', mempunyai banyak wang dan harta rakyat hasil daripada korupsi, boleh menyelewangkan wang rakyat setahun dalam sebulan, boleh melanggani a go-go bar walaupun berpakaian alim, sedia mengkorupsikan Kehakiman dengan wang ringgit korupsi, boleh "manufacture" bukti walaupun tidak wujud; boleh melepaskan yang bersalah walaupun tidak, melantik hakim yang tidak arif lagi tidak saksama untuk mendengarkan kes kerajaan, menggunakan AG dan ACA untuk menyerang orang awam tetapi untuk melindungi kroni-kroninya, menggunakan PDRM sebagai budak pukulnya, sedia menggunakan FRU dan Akta ISA untuk mendiamkan sesiapa yang menyoal, menunjukkan Malaysia sebagai Negara bodoh dengan jawapan dasar kerajaan di tahap antarbangsa - yang tidak masuk akal, tidak membenarkan Rakyat Malaysia berkembang minda, menggadaikan "future" Negara Malaysia demi kuasa, wang ringgit dan kroni, dll, dll dan dll...

Inilah UMNO dan sekutunya yang inginkan undi sekalian - supaya boleh merampas kebebasan dan harta sekalian dan juga untuk membolot mesin kerajaan "dahulu, kini dan untuk selama-lamanya" bagi membolehkan Rakyat dihambakan kepada UMNO dan sekutunya.

Undilah Barisan UMNO dan sekutunya sekiranya ingin sekalian dan anak-anak sekalian dihambakan, diperbodohkan, dibankrupkan dan Negara dibinasakan!

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written by cheekymate, December 06, 2008 14:48:58

10 good reasons why you MUST NOT vote for the BN:
1.Corruption galore, rob, rape and plunder is their motto.
2.They are using the NEP as an excuse to garner the Malay votes.
3.The majority of the Malays have remained poor and post election promises once again vapourise into thin air. Please wake up, our brother Malays, the BN is not in the least interested in your welfare.
4.There is absolutely no transparency whatsoever in the various departments in the BN led government. Checks and balances totally is non existant. Lame excuses are always given when matters are raised by the opposition and persistent questioning may lead to one being labelled as subversive element and caught under ISA.
5.The judiciary system is the biggest joke of the century.
6.The ISA is used against ANYONE whom the government deem to be a threat to the BN; it has nothing to do with the so called threat to the security of our country. Human rights is dead in Malaysia and people are intimidated by threats of the ISA. Anti establishment views are often reduced to mere whispers in the comfort of our homes.
7.Lies, more lies and damned lies are fabricated by those in the highest of power to incarcerate their opposition enemies.
8.A highly tainted future PM who cowardly refuses to put himself on the witness stand to clear his name. Only the guilty hide and run from the truth, the innocent face their charges head on without fear. Please make your own conclusion.
9.The divide and rule policy has caused bad rifts among our various races and racism is further fanned to its height by extremists like Ahmad Ismail.
10.Our country needs a Prime Minister for all Malaysians, not one who is a Prime Minister to the Umnoputras whereby they join hands to deplete our land of its milk and honey. Do you all see ANY of this trait of a Prime Minister for all Malaysians in our present leaders?

NEVER, NEVER, NEVER put a vote for the BN. It is synonymous to subjecting yourself to another 51 years of hardship, pain, lies, no freedom of speech or expression, jailed without trial and when you become a real pest, you might even be blown to pieces without a fair trial given to find your murderers.

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written by Saint, December 06, 2008 15:15:14

The world is moving for a change and when Obama and Bush can pose for photographs, here in Malaysia we still have the "ketuanan" and Dato Zaid's sacking problem. PAS, DAP and PKR should place Dato' Zaid (as an independent) at Kuala Trengganu and "teach UNMO a lesson" of what it means by progress.

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written by Fart Fart Wah, December 06, 2008 20:31:17

UMNO has been royally screwing the Malays. With the munafique approach they preach that they take care of the Malays while filling their pockets and taking it from the Malays on the pretext of Malay Rights and the NEP.

They have used religion and race to fight. This approach is fundamentally wrong. However it is done for their own gain and power. Just look at the examples of their lifestyles and they way they enjoy their lives at the expense of the Malays. It is really shameful but a munafique will be a munafique.

God is used for their power and race is used as a stepping stone to that power. Malays must not be blind and accept UMNO's mode of politics. It destroys the Nation and polarises the rakyat.

I have never seen this in Indonesia. No doubt there are pockets of conservatism and extremists. but it is not as bad as it is here. Over there anyone can sit in any shop without a problem. Nobody bothers you no Hakim or Jakim. Here it will be a big deal
You can marry anybody..no body bothers if you are Muslim, Christan or Hindu. In a family there will be 3 different religions and all can live peacefully. here it will be anathema..and someone might be even killed if UMNO continues this way. UMNO must change..for the rakyat...

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written by Orang Muda, December 07, 2008 01:55:18

Let's promote more badminton games among the BN MPs, then it would be faster for PR to take over the government...

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written by Kathy, December 07, 2008 03:09:02

"Mr Najib has promised to make good on Mr Abdullah's unfulfilled promises of change."
If UMNO were sincere in reforms Zaid Ibrahim would not have had to resign his post as de facto Law Minister, and he would not have been sacked from UMNO for attending the DAP and PKR conferences.

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