You can tell an election is around the corner when you see steamrollers and tar-laden trucks descending into your area. The Kuala Terengganu by-election this month is no exception.

Over the past two weeks, as if on cue, they poured into the streets of Kuala Terengganu, resurfacing key roads in the city of 300,000.

Most of these roads had already been resurfaced eight months ago when Terengganu played hosts to the Malaysia Games.

However, with nomination day due tomorrow and polling day on Jan 17, the Public Works Department is hard at work in resurfacing the roads, some for the second time for good measure.

PAS deputy president Nasharuddin Mat Isa said his party, having contested in other by-elections, was prepared for such tactics.

"Let the people of Kuala Terengganu be the judge. They are mature enough to decide that these are just sweeteners offered by BN in the by-election. It happened elsewhere and now it’s happening in Kuala Terengganu," he said.

Nasharuddin said PAS has already given up lodging complaints on such ‘vote-buying’ to the Election Commission.

"It would fall on deaf ears as with our past complaints. EC will give many excuses. The party knows it is an uphill battle with the offers of such `sweeteners' but we are confident the voters, and PAS, would persevere," he said.

PAS candidate has the ‘X-factor’

Nasharuddin, who is leading the PAS machinery in Kuala Terengganu, said PAS would not follow BN’s unscrupulous action in kicking off the campaigning even before nomination day tomorrow.

kuala terengganu parliament state seat breakdown 031208 "We would not stoop so low to win the voters. We will play fairly by beginning our campaign as soon as the nomination ends," the PAS deputy president said.

Despite the unfair start by BN, Nasharuddin said PAS is confident that its surprise candidate , Mohd Abdul Wahid Endut, will win the by-election.

"He has the X-factor - he is well known in Kuala Terengganu by representing the people of Wakaf Mempelam (a state seat under Kuala Terengganu parliamentary constitutency) for five terms and being a former state executive councillor," said the PAS deputy president.

Nomination day is tomorrow and PAS plans to gather supporters from the Pakatan Rakyat coalition - including those from allies PKR and DAP - at Pasti in Jalan Pusara, Kuala Terengganu, at 7.30am.

"For Muslims, we will perform the ‘solat hajat’ (special request prayers) before marching to the nomination centre," he said.

Meanwhile, the BN entourage will march to from the state government headquarters led by prime minister-in-waiting Najib Abdul Razak.

All candidates must submit their forms between 9am to 10am. Objection period is between 10am and 11am where the nomination papers would be put on display to the public for scrutiny and to file challenges to the candidates, if any.

After that the returning officer will have one hour to peruse the objections to decide whether to accept or reject a nomination. He will then make an official announcement on the candidates that will contest for the by-election, usually by 12 noon.

Campaign will officially begin after the returning officer has confirmed the candidates.

The Kuala Terengganu parliamentary seat fell vacant following the sudden death of Deputy Education Minister Razali Ismail on Nov 28.

Razali had on March 8 last year defeated PAS vice-president Mohamad Sabu by 628 votes. Also contesting was 85-year-old grandmother and independent candidate Maimun Yusuf. She was widely seen as a spoiler and garnered 685 votes.

According to the Election Commission, there will be 80,229 registered voters, including 1,035 postal votes, in the upcoming by-election. The latest figure is slightly lower than the 80,325 voters recorded at the March 8 general elections.

Besides Abdul Wahid and Umno candidate, former deputy home minister Wan Ahmad Farid Wan Salleh, the election may see a few independent contestants, including Kelantan businessperson Isma Airfath Hassanuddin and Angkatan Keadilan Insan Malaysia's Haron Abdul Rahman Mohamad.

Concerns over 7,000 extra cops

Wan Abdul Mutalib Embong, who is leading the Terengganu PAS machinery, echoed Nasharuddin's concerns regarding BN’s blatant attempt to buy votes.

"Yes, they have been resurfacing the major roads for the past two weeks. Unfortunately, they are not resurfacing the roads leading to the ‘kampungs’," the Terengganu PAS deputy commissioner quipped.

He also questioned the strong police presence in Kuala Terengganu.

"There are 7,000 extra policemen brought in for this by-election. Why the strong presence? This may scare away the voters.”

Wan Abdul Mutalib said party volunteers from all states have also arrived to help in the campaign.

The Kelab Penyokong PAS will be holding a gathering in the city tonight and they are given the task to woo the almost 12 percent non-Malay voters in the constituency.

"Their presence, as well as those from other Pakatan Rakyat parties, will certainly help us in our campaign," he said, referring to the Chinese voters which PAS must win to beat Umno in this round.

According to Wan Abdul Mutalib, PAS will be campaigning on the need for a stronger opposition in Parliament.

"The people must understand that because of a stronger opposition, the people from Sabah and Sarawak are benefitting as more funds are made available there, and the people in Kuala Terengganu are getting their oil royalty money back.

"Without a strong opposition, the government would not do such things including reducing the price of oil in the past couple of months," said Wan Abdul Mutalib.