PKR man: Tide’s turning in Terengganu

KUALA TERENGGANU: Barisan Nasional and Pakatan Harapan’s campaign in Terengganu and Kelantan is gaining traction, according to a PKR leader.

Party vice-president Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad, who oversees Kelantan and Terengganu for PKR, said the reception towards the two coalitions in both PAS-controlled states is now “more positive”.

“Pakatan’s cooperation with Barisan is going very well and we now have to ensure that people come out and vote,” he told a meeting of Pakatan activists and members at Bukit Besar here yesterday.

Nik Nazmi said positive sentiments have been felt in the Kuala Terengganu parliamentary seat which has four state seats – Batu Buruk, Wakaf Mempelam, Bandar and Ladang – all of which were won by PAS in the 2018 election.

The parliamentary seat is also seeing a by-election together with the state election after an Election Court nullified PAS’ victory in the 15th General Election (GE15) last year.

PKR is part of Pakatan, which is campaigning together with Barisan to take on PAS in Kuala Terengganu. PAS is now part of the Perikatan Nasional coalition.

Pakatan and Barisan are also vying for the 32 state seats in Terengganu, most of which were won by PAS in GE14.

Nik Nazmi, who is also the Natural Resources, Environment and Climate Change Minister, said the focus in the last days of campaigning will be to convince fence-sitters, mainly those voting in Kuala Terengganu.

Speaking to reporters later, he said Pakatan and Barisan are unfazed by the fact that PAS had won the Kuala Terengganu seat with a thumping 40,000-vote majority in GE15.

“I don’t want to underestimate our opponents because they have been in Terengganu for a long time. But we also know that Terengganu voters are unique in that they don’t let PAS stay long after they win,” he said.

PAS had defeated Umno to take over Terengganu in the 1999 election but lost the state after one term in the 2004 national polls. The Islamist party was able to recapture the state again in 2018.

Nik Nazmi also refuted suggestions from Perikatan that the Opposition coalition would be able to bring down the unity government pact if it wins all six state elections.

“The King and most of the people have said that they want stability. Our country needs economic growth, investments and job creation. Talk like this will not help the country. They should be a responsible Opposition,” he said.