KUALA KRAI:In less than 48 hours, the more than 12,000 voters in Manik Urai will choose the candidate and party to represent them after many years being under PAS rule.

If before the nomination of candidates, PAS was ahead with 60 per cent of the support and Barisan Nasional (BN) had 40 per cent, the gap is said to be narrowing while some even feel that PAS' hold on Manik Urai is being threatened by BN.

This is because a number of PAS' strongholds such as Chuchoh Puteri, Sungai Sok and Lata Rek have been "infiltrated" by the BN by-election machinery. Previously, this was impossible.

The younger generation who yearn for development for the area is another contributing factor to the scenario.

Focus has also been given to polling areas with a high concentration of voters like Sungai Perial with 2,019 voters, the highest among the nine polling areas in Manik Urai.

Political observers view the situation as a measure of the voters' political maturity, while there have been no pressing issues raised except that both sides tried to play up issues which are close to the thinking of East Coast Malays.

PAS is still relying on Islamic issues and accusing the federal government of treating the Kelantan government like a step child over the oil royalty claim, while BN has promised development in Manik Urai and making it the federal government's "favoured child".

Voter sentiments are also said to be not as strong or enthusiastic as in the Bukit Gantang parliamentary seat by-election with the Perak political crisis being among the hot issues, while its voters are multiracial unlike Manik Urai where Malays make up about 99.2 per cent of the voters.

These voters are mostly rubber smallholders or tappers and this has limited the spectrum of issues that could be manipulated by the opposition.

Kuala Krai member of parliament Dr Hatta Ramli from PAS admitted a stiff contest in Chuchoh Puteri, Laloh and Manik Urai Lama, believed to have many fence-sitters.

"Tough fight," said the party treasurer while he is optimistic that the party will be able to retain the seat which PAS had won in 1959 except in 2004 when it was wrested by BN.

On paper, PAS only has about 700 party members in Manik Urai and Umno having more than 4,000 members, but this does not guarantee an easy passage for the BN candidate, Tuan Aziz Tuan Mat, 39, a former Kesedar (South Kelantan Development Authority) officer.

"We don't have many party members here but we have many supporters," said a local PAS leader who is optimistic that voters from outside the area, numbering over 1,000, would vote for the party's candidate Mohd Fauzi Abdullah, 50, a fish wholesaler.

Although Chinese and Indian voters in the constituency number 52 and 28 respectively, both parties have been working hard to garner support from voters from other component parties and their supporter clubs.

Both sides have intensified their campaigns with the announcement of some surprises.

The BN today announced that it would build a new bridge in Manik Urai Lama if it wins the by-election and it wants to turn the area, dominated by snallholders, rubber tappers and land scheme settlers, into an agropolitan area.

PAS which is using the slogan, "Progressing with Islam", has not revealed what it plans to do for Manik Urai if it is able to retain the seat.

PAS' surprise was expected to be announced tomorrow, said its Kelantan election director Abdul Fattah Harun. Tonight saw opposition heavyweights including PAS spiritual leader and Kelantan Menteri Besar Datuk Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat and PKR advisor Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim campaigning at the ceramah (talks).

The question is whether PAS' surprise announcement will enable it to maintain the status quo in Manik Urai come Tuesday, or that the voters decide to choose otherwise after seeing the little the party has achieved for Manik Urai after ruling Kelantan for almost two decades. (Bernama)