> Anwar promises tough fight
Pakatan Rakyat will give Barisan Nasional a tough fight in the upcoming Kuala Terengganu by-election next month, promised its de facto leader Anwar Ibrahim today.
Assuring that Umno would face a torrid time in its attempt to retain the seat, he also dropped hints that his party PKR would prefer PAS heavyweight Mohamad Sabu as the candidate.
However, he said PKR would throw its full support behind any PAS nominee for the by-election to be held on Saturday, Jan 17.
Nomination day is on Jan 6, giving the contesting parties a 11-day campaign period.
Popularly touted as the 'Battle of KT', the contest will see all Pakatan heavyweights entering the ring to ensure victory for the coalition’s candidate.
Political pundits view the by-election as crucial in determining the current and future support for both BN and Pakatan.
"We will work hard and give a tough fight to BN. No doubt about it," PKR supremo Anwar told reporters in Penanti, Penang.
He was in Permatang Pauh with his wife Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail to celebrate Hari Raya Aidil Adha with his constituents.
Full support for PAS candidate
The 'Battle of KT' will be the second by-election since the March 8 general election following the Permatang Pauh by-election won by Anwar on Aug 26.
"We will fully support the PAS candidate, notwithstanding whether the person is Mat (Mohamad) Sabu or anyone else," he said.
Mohamad Sabu is widely considered as among the liberal-minded leaders in the Islamic-based PAS.
He indicated that Pakatan would use a multi-racial campaign platform even though Malays make up 88.2 percent of the 80,229 registered voters in the Kuala Terengganu parliamentary constituency.
The seat fell vacant when incumbent Razali Ismail, also the deputy education minister, died of a heart attack on Nov 28.
In 2004, the Umno leader defeated PAS executive council member Syed Azman Syed Ahmad by 1,933 votes.
In the March 8 polls this year, Razali won by a slim 628 majority, defeating Mat Sabu and 89-year-old Maimun Yusuf in a three-way fight.
Analysts rate the contest as 50-50 for both Umno and PAS. BN won the seat in 1986, 1990, 2004 and 2008, while the now defunct Semangat 46 won it in 1995 and PAS won it 1999 - Malaysiakini.
