DEATH KNELL FOR NAJIB? Umno wins K Besut but RM477mil for an extra 158 votes triggers scorn

KUALA LUMPUR - Despite a slew of election goodies worth nearly RM500 million - the highest ever in the country's history - Prime Minister Najib Razak could only improve his Umno party's majority by a mere 158 votes in the much-watched Kuala Besut by-election.

"This will not go unnoticed by top Umno power brokers such a Mahathir Mohamad. It will be seen as a sign of weakness in support for Najib. As (free and fair polls movement) Bersih has calculated, Najib splurged more than RM19,000 per voter with all the election goodies and investments announced over the past two weeks. For that sort of investment, Umno should expect a much bigger majority like the 4,000 predicted by Idris Jusoh," an Umno watcher told Malaysia Chronicle.

He was referring to former Terengganu chief minister Idris Jusoh, who is now the Education Minister II. Idris, the MP for the larger Besut constituency, had earlier this month called on PAS to give a walkover to Umno.

Idris had reasoned that it had been barely 2 months since the May 5 general election and voters were unlikely to change their minds so soon. Idris also predicted a 4,000-votes majority.

RM477million for an extra 158 votes: Gross under-performance

However, Bernama has reported the official final results showing BN candidate Tengku Zaihan Che Ku Abdul Rahman as having beaten Azlan Yusof of PAS with a majority 2,592 votes.

"They (the Najib administration) pledged RM477 million. But I think they only increased their majority by about 200 votes," Dzulkefly Ahmad, PAS central committee member, was reported as saying.

The turnout rate was 80%, which is lower than the 87% recorded during May 5 general election.

The by-election was called after BN assemblyman Abdul Rahman Mokhtar died last month. He had won the seat with a 2,434-vote majority, beating Napisah Ismail of PAS. In 2008, Abdul Rahman had won with a majority of 2,631 votes against PAS' Nik Muhammad Zawawi Salleh.

"Still shining": But the decline is clear

Meanwhile, national news agency has reported Najib as describing the by-election win as proof that Umno was "still shining".

"Thank God. BN has won in Kuala Besut and thanks to all the voters in Kuala Besut who supported the BN. God willing, we will fulfill all the pledges we made in the Kuala Besut by-election," Najib was quoted as saying.

His critics are bound to slam his rather facetious comments as being out of touch with reality. Be that as it may, his foes within the Umno party are also bound to make similar responses in a bid to portray a united front.

However, that doesn't mean internal post-mortems won't be conducted to analyse the disappointing outcome.

Those who have the most to gain from Najib's embarrassment at Kuala Besut include his deputy Muhyiddin Yassin, whom many believe is now sure to throw his hat into the ring for the Umno presidency.

The party's internal polls are due to be held in September and Muhyiddin's chances of winning Mahathir's support to challenge Najib for the Umno presidency will be increased by the RM477 million Kuala Besut fiasco..

Malaysia Chronicle