Kuala Terenggau by-election - All anak Malaysia is fully committed to create another political tsunami



The Election Commission yesterday (5th December)

announced that the Kuala Terengganu by-election will be held on 17th January 2009, with nomination day on 6th January 2009.

This will be a historic opportunity for the voters of Kuala Terengganu to create another mini political tsunami after the Permatang Pauh by-election on 26 August as well as March 8, the greatest political tsunami since we celebrated Merdeka 51 years ago.



The upcoming by-election with far-reaching implications on the national political landscape will be a test for the remaining days of the outgoing Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi’s tenure and is likely to affect his ‘report card’ as the shortest-serving Prime Minister in Malayisa’s history.



Abdullah has failed to learn the lessons of the March 8 political tsunami, and the continuing loss of confidence in his leadership and the BN government has resulted in a ‘power transition’ plan that would see Abdullah hand over the offices of UMNO President and Prime Minister to his deputy, Datuk Seri Najib Razak in less than 4 months’ time.

This has accelerated the level-down of the country No.1 to a has-been and the prestige of Abdullah has now come to an abrupt slope.



The country is now witnessing a ‘headless’ administration and is led to nowhere while facing the worst world economic crisis in 80 years due to the global financial meltdown.



It is time for the voters of Kuala Terengganu to send a clear and unmistakable message to the Prime Minister to awaken his sense of duty and put in place the reforms he had promised in his remaining four months before he is ejected in the UMNO elections in next March, which could prove to be the dirtiest and most corrupt one yet.



The Kuala Terengganu by-election is not only a report card for Abdullah but also a confidence vote for the Prime Minister-designate Najib in the morality and legitimacy of his leadership.



The voters of Kuala Terengganu should use their votes to express their disgust at the worsening political, economic and nation-building crisis in the country in the 10 months since March 8.

The stakes involved in the Kuala Terengganu by-election is not just about an individual and a constituency, but the future of the Malaysian people and the nation, and the future generations of you and me.



Pakatan Rakyat should go all out to ensure that Haji Mohd Sabu, the PAS National Vice President can return to the Parliament with a decisive victory in this by-election.



All patriotic Malaysians must unite behind the banner of Pakatan Rakyat to make the Kuala Terengganu by-election a most historic and important election in Malaysian history, to shape a healthy democratization of the country.



With that, we are one more step closer to the ‘sky change’ we all hope to see, where all anak Malaysia share the same dreams and hopes regardless of race and religion.