KUALA BESUT, July 22- Voters have been urged not to be hoodwinked by PAS’ ploy that it would not fight for the menteri besar’s post if it managed to wrest Kuala Besut from the Barisan Nasional (BN) and force a hung state assembly in a by-election on Wednesday.
“I hope the voters are not easily fooled by the 16:16 slogan touted by PAS as it is just another trap to ensnare them into voting them,” Home Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi told reporters after attending a security briefing at the Police Tactical Headquarters here Sunday.
He was commenting on PAS president Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang’s statement that the party just wanted to be the balancing power in the 32-seat state assembly.
The BN can have the menteri besar’s post and PAS just wants the mandate in Kuala Besut so that “the BN will not be free to do as they like,” he was quoted as saying on Friday.
Ahmad Zahid, who is also Umno vice-president, said a hung state assembly would cause political instability and administrative limbo in Terengganu.
“Kuala Besut voters have an important role to play in determining the state’s future as a hung state assembly will put the state in a mess in ascertaining who should form the state government as both parties have equal number of seats,” he added.
Brushing aside PAS’ claim that the BN was prompted to develop Kuala Besut due to pressure from the opposition, he said it was a simplistic view as the BN’s track record in championing the people’s well-being was beyond question.
BN’s Tengku Zaihan Che Ku Abd Rahman, 37, a civil engineer with the Drainage and Irrigation Department who hails from Kuala Besut, is pitted against PAS’ Endot alias Azlan Yusof, 48, a contractor, in the by-election.
– BERNAMA
