New faces, new battleground
Redelineation brings changes in candidacy and state seats
KUANTAN: Temerloh will be a different battleground in GE14, firstly because new faces will be contesting the parliamentary constituency, and also since the redelineation has brought changes to its three state seats.
Although the size of the Temerloh seat remains the same, the three state constituencies now have an approximately equal electorate.
In GE13, PAS’ Nasrudin Hassan pulled off a surprise, winning the parliamentary seat by 1,070 votes, just 1.9% of the total ballots.
He beat Datuk Saifuddin Abdullah, who contested under Barisan Nasional then but has since quit Umno and joined PKR.
The two will have a rematch, but in Indera Mahkota this year.
Temerloh Umno chief Datuk Seri Mohd Sharkar Shamsudin said Barisan lost because of the strong Opposition collaboration in 2013.
Back then, he was the only Barisan candidate in Temerloh who managed to defend his state seat of Lanchang. Mentakab fell to DAP while Kuala Semantan went to PAS.
“After the split within the Opposition, people now see that they are not serious. Although I was the only Barisan assemblyman who won, we have still kept up our service to the people these past five years. The voters will have to re-evaluate their choice this year,” said Mohd Sharkar.
On the redelineation effect, he said the racial make-up of the state seats was “pretty much maintained” but each one now has roughly the same number of voters.
“In its counter-proposal to the Election Commission (EC), the state government wanted the numbers to be proportionate. I think the EC has done a fair job.
“The beauty is that Umno can concentrate on rural areas while the other Barisan components see
to the needs of urban folk.
“We understand the demographic and can serve the constituents better,” Mohd Sharkar said.
There has been talk that he will be Barisan’s candidate for Temerloh.
If fielded, he will face Amanah secretary-general Anuar Tahir and PAS’ Md Jusoh Darus.
Anuar agreed that PAS only won because it was part of Pakatan Rakyat then.
“Yes, PAS won the seat but in general, many of those votes were for Pakatan Rakyat,” said Anuar.
“We believe we can win because the general sentiment in Temerloh is pro-Opposition.”