Terengganu BN wary of ‘peteh keting’

KUALA TERENGGANU: The dreaded peteh keting will unveil itself as soon as Parliament is dissolved. It will affect Barisan Nasional, Pas and Pakatan Harapan but as the dominant party, BN will feel its effects the most.

Peteh keting means bringing the opponent or challenger down. In a football match, this action will be against players in the opposing team, but in politics, it can happen within the same party.

It happens in every election, but to a lesser extent in the 2004 general election for BN. It was, however, damaging to Pas. BN tasted defeat but was united to regain its pride.

In the 14th General Election, speculations on candidates are rife. Most of them are not believable because those who claim to be the chosen ones are lesserknown party personalities trying to gauge their popularity.

Peteh keting or sabotage comes in many facets but its ugly effects will only be seen after polling day.

Tell-tale signs will be visible after the naming of candidates. The first sign is the immediate deflation of enthusiasm to work for the party as soon as candidates are named. This is observable at party booths. They will be lit but with no one working there, or they will be dark as if abandoned.

This first sign of protests will be taken seriously by the party and it will mobilise trusted members to coax those manning the booths out of sulking.

This is a delicate process and the party mobilises its veterans to be mediators.

Secondly, the intensity of the flag war will be lopsided. At the moment, the flag war in Terengganu is evidently being won by BN with Pas a close second, and PH with nothing to show. But this is before nomination day, and things can change abruptly when candidates are announced.

Thirdly, voter turnout will be low due to failed party machinery led by disgruntled members. Loyal party workers will have to run frantically to identify voters who have not cast votes and will use all means, including bicycles, to get the voters to the polling centres.

And finally, party workers tasked with ushering voters at polling centres will abandon their duties.

It must be noted that a majority of the 32 state seats in Terengganu commands fewer than a 1,000-vote majority and this makes every vote count for the party and peteh keting a real threat.

Terengganu is not called a swing state without a reason.