Terengganu MB denies Zaihan not a local boy

Terengganu Menteri Besar Ahmad Said has denied talk that the BN's Kuala Besut by-election candidate Tengku Zaihan Che Ku Abdul Rahman spends more time in Putrajaya than in Kuala Besut.

Speaking to about 200 people today, Ahmad said that the allegations were false and the people must reject it in the spirit of Ramadan.

“In truth he had just moved (to Putrajaya) three months ago after five years of service in Kuala Besut as the district’s (civil) engineer. He is a true son of Kuala Besut.

“His wife has not even managed to (secure a) transfer yet and still teaches in a school in Kuala Besut. (Our opponents) are spreading lies during Ramadan,” he said, without naming those who made the allegation.

Ahmad was speaking at a ground-breaking ceremony today for a four-storey medium-cost housing block in Kuala Besut comprising of 72 units worth RM143,000 each.

Earlier today, PAS secretary-general Mustaffa Ali issued a statement claiming that based on feedback from voters, few locals know Tengku Zaihan.

“There are many versions about this BN candidate. Some say he was born here and has a family here too; others say he was not born nor raised here, and it’s just that he has a family here.

Apartments not an election goodie

At the ground-breaking ceremony, Ahmad also denied that the apartments are an election goodie, saying that the project has been underway even when the late Kuala Besut assemblyperson Dr A Rahman Mokhtar was alive.

Rahman was the constituency’s assemblyperson until his death on June 26, forcing a by-election two months after the May 5 general election.

“I don’t want people to say that we only started the pilling work during the by-election. This is slander,” he said.

However, he also pledged to build 500 affordable housing units if BN wins the by-election.

According to Ahmad, the housing project launched at Kampung Tok Saboh, Kuala Besut today is meant to relocate residents in Pengkalan Atap government housing, which is suffering from high tides and coastal erosion.

It will also house families who don’t already own a home.

“Surely you already know that they are poor. We can’t sell it to them, they can’t pay for it. It is possible that they can live here for free,” he said.

The event was officiated by Deputy Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin, who claims that Umno is a party that upholds Islam and its welfare projects, including affordable housing, is in line with that.