Kemaman vote a referendum on Anwar govt? Then what about earlier Pelangai poll? Minister Fahmi asks PAS
KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 4 — Spokesman for the unity government Fahmi Fadzil today scoffed at PAS’ description of last Saturday’s Kemaman by-election in Terengganu as a “referendum” on the Anwar administration.
Fahmi, who is communications and digital minister, pointed out that the PAS victory in Kemaman did not come as a surprise when the Islamist party controls the entire Terengganu state.
“Then what about the Pelangai by-election? The unity government won Pelangai, a referendum on who?” he replied to reporters at the National Institute of Public Administration here when asked to comment on PAS secretary-general Datuk Seri Takiyuddn Hassan’s description of Terengganu parliamentary by-election result as a referendum of Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s leadership.
The Pelangai by-election on October 7 was won by the Barisan Nasional (BN), now a component of the coalition federal government led by Anwar.
The by-election for the Pahang state seat was called following the death of its incumbent assemblyman Datuk Johari Harun in a plane crash in Shah Alam, Selangor on August 17. Fahmi said the Anwar government is not worried about losing the Kemaman parliamentary seat to PAS since it still commands two-thirds support in the Dewan Rakyat.
Instead, he indicated that if anyone should be worried about the implication, it should be Bersatu secretary-general Datuk Seri Hamzah Zainudin as the Kemaman victory showed PAS was gaining ground and would challenge its Perikatan Nasional (PN) ally for the position of federal Opposition leader.
