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Monday, July 15, 2013

34 years on, 'little progress' in Kuala Besut


KUALA BESUT There are uncanny similarities in the upcoming Kuala Besut by-election with the one held in 1979.

Back then, state assemblyperson Zakaria Muda had died on June 26 - the date on which BN’s Dr A Rahman Mokhtar died this year.

The campaign in 1979 was conducted during the month of Ramadan, as is the case currently.

BN’s Wan Zakaria Wan Abdul Rahman won the seat in 1979 with a 797-vote majority over PAS’ Husin Jusoh.

NONEThis time around, BN’s Tengku Zaihan Che Ku Abdul Rahman (right in photo) is taking on Azlan Yusof(left in photo) of PAS.

While the by-elections are 34 years apart, they are connected by a questionable feature - little development has taken place in the constituency in between.

Fishermen Mohd Faizul Anuar Mat Sin and Mohd Zaki Che Abdullah were among those who bemoaned the situation.

Mohd Faizul, 31, told Malaysiakini that the youth have moved to the state capital of Kuala Terengganu, some 100km away, and other urban centres to make a living. 

Mohd Zaki complained that there are no factories, for example, that would have created jobs. 

Sundry shop owner Ong Guan Poo, 72, said there has been little progress since he moved to Kuala Besut from Kelantan in 1959.

Only the elderly and the children of the Chinese community remain in Kuala Besut, he noted.

There are only free-standing kampung houses in the area, with few large buildings aside from three-storey hotels and swiftlet nesting houses.

The small constituency comprises only 31,312 residents, based on the 2010 census. Of the 17,683 voters, 99 percent are Malays and the rest are Chinese Malaysians. 

MNONEany Malays work in the fishing industry, while others are in construction and agriculture, or run small businesses. According to locals, there are more than 1,000 fishermen in Kuala Besut. 

The Chinese community is concentrated in the town, mainly running sundry shops, coffee shops, and hardware stores. 

Although Kuala Besut is the jump-off point for the famous resort island of Pulau Perhentian, the state government has allegedly paid little attention to developing the local tourism industry

‘Politics of poverty’ claim


At a press conference on Saturday, PAS secretary-general Mustafa Ali accused the BN-led Terengganu government of playing the “politics of poverty” to stay in power. 

kuala besut 130713 mustaffa aliHe claimed that the BN has deliberately kept the residents poor in order to ensure that their dependence on government aid. 

“It is as if poverty has become a BN asset to use ... It is not good politics,” said Mustafa(right in photo), who had served as his party’s by-election director in 1979.

He claimed that Kuala Besut is the least developed of the four state seats under the Besut parliamentary constituency.

He urged voters to support PAS and ensure Azlan’s victory.

With power evenly split in the state assembly, he said, PAS would be able to pressure BN to develop Kuala Besut.

BN brings out the goodies

The BN, meanwhile, began flashing the ‘development card’ on Day 2 of its campaign.

Deputy Prime Minister and BN Kuala Besut by-election director Muhyiddin Yassin accompanied Tengku Zaihan around to distribute goodies and counter PAS’ campaign. 

kuala besut 130713 muhyiddin yassinMuhyiddin was at Kampung Tok Saboh yesterday for the ground-breaking ceremony of a four-storey ‘affordable housing’ block. To be built at a cost of RM10.35 million, the scheme will make available 72 three-room units. 

He said the units are intended for residents whose houses along the coast are affected by high waves and erosion of the shoreline.

Terengganu Menteri Besar Ahmad Said has reportedly indicated that the units may be given away free of charge.

NONEEarlier yesterday, Housing and Local Government Minister Abdul Rahman Dahlan was visiting Taman Tasek, in Kampung Nail, when he announced that a family there would be given a free new house to replace the one destroyed in a fire in May. 

He said the house worth RM37,000 would be completed on July 23 - coincidentally or otherwise, the eve of polling day. 

Kuala Besut is known to be a BN stronghold. With the federal government’s vast resources behind the by-election, PAS can expect a tough fight for the seat on July 24.

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