Pahang becomes opposition state
KUANTAN: The 14th general election ( GE14) saw Pahang becoming an opposition state, one of two (states) still under the control of Barisan Nasional ( BN).
Pahang had always been considered a safe haven for BN, but the coalition only managed to retain 25 of its 42 State Legislative Assembly seats, versus the 30 it garnered in the 13th general election.
GE14 saw PKR win nine state seats, while PAS obtained eight.
The biggest change in the state government was that of the Menteri Besar, with Pelangai assemblyman Datuk Seri Adnan Yaakob no longer at the helm, despite steering the state BN to victory.
However, BN’s victory in Pahang was momentous for Adnan, who first became an assemblyman in 1986 and Menteri Besar on May 25, 1999, and had said that GE14 would be his last general election.
The state administration is currently helmed by Jelai assemblyman Datuk Seri Wan Rosdy Wan Ismail, and barely six months into the job, he is now faced with a new challenge with the Cameron Highlands parliamentary seat by- election following a court decision to nullify BN’s win in the seat.
With opposition Pakatan Harapan coalition winning power at the federal level, Pahang is also affected by other changes, such as the East Coast Rail Link ( ECRL) project by the Federal government, which cuts through the state from Bentong to Kuantan Port being put on hold.
More controversies also surrounded the Lynas Advance Material Plant (LAMP) in Gebeng, which began operations in 2012. — Bernama