KUALA BESUT, July 13- Barisan Nasional (BN) leaders are confident that Tengku Zaihan Che Ku Abd Rahman is a credible candidate and capable of defending the Kuala Besut seat in the July 24 state by-election.
The regarded the Tengku Zaihan, 37, as apt and suitable due to his active participation in community activities.
BN secretary-general Datuk Seri Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor said the straight fight in the contest for the Kuala Besut seat would give the coalition the edge.
“It is easier for BN to win Kuala Besut. I believe BN will win with a bigger majority,” he told Bernama here today.
Tengku Zaihan, from Kampung Nail in Kuala Besut, was an engineer at the Drainage and Irrigation Department (DID) in Putrajaya and had served for five years with the Besut DID.
Rural and Regional Development Minister Datuk Seri Mohd Shafie Apdal said Tengku Zaihan had the qualities required of an elected representative.
“I believe with his young blood, energy and enthusiasm, besides his experience and knowledge, is a strategy to give BN a win,” he added.
Shafie, who is also Umno vice-president, said he believed that voters in Kuala Besut would once again give a win to the BN candidate to serve as the link between the people and the federal government.
Second Education Minister Datuk Seri Idris Jusoh believed more young people would vote for BN for having a young blood as its candidate as it would be in tandem with their aspiration.
“BN won with a majority of more than 2,000 votes in the last general election. So, it is quit impossible for PAS to garner that many votes within a short period,” he added.
Terengganu Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Ahmad Said said the people would continue to vote for BN in this coming by-election, like they did in the last general election.
“This candidate has a big heart and meets the criteria required by the society and the straight fight certainly gives him the edge,” he added.
Meanwhile, Terengganu Puteri Umno chief Nordiana Shafie regarded the selection of Tengku Zaihan as the BN candidate for the Kuala Besut by-election was apt based on his education and his ability to easily mingle with the local community.
The Election Commission has set July 24 for polling.
The by-election has been necessitated by the death of assemblyman Dr A. Rahman Mokhtar of the BN of lung cancer on June 26.
He had won the seat with a 2,434 majority by beating Napisah Ismail of PAS in the general election on May 5. Kuala Besut has 17,683 voters.
– BERNAMA
