Terengganu BN keeps promise to field woman candidate in GE14





KUALA TERENGGANU, April 22 (Bernama) -- The Terengganu Barisan Nasional (BN) has kept its promise to field a woman candidate in the 14th General Election (GE14).

It is even more surprising that not only one, but two women candidates have been announced to help the party to recapture two state seats it lost in the last general election.

Terengganu BN Liaison Committee chairman Datuk Seri Ahmad Razif Abd Rahman said Marang Wanita UMNO division chief Toh Puan Zaitun Mat Amin, 61, would contest the Bukit Payong state seat while state Wanita UMNO treasurer Datuk Zainun Abu Bakar, 65, who is also Dungun Wanita UMNO chief would contest the Sura state seat.

Zaitun, who is also a former Senator, has expressed confidence of winning the Bukit Payong state seat as she had been serving the people for almost five years.

"All the issues and problems of the people in the Marang parliamentary constituency have long been resolved with the help of grassroots machinery including 23 UMNO branches in the Bukit Payong state constituency," she said.

Zainun or Kak Nun as she is fondly known said almost 45 per cent of the 24,000 registered voters in the Sura state constituency were women and she believed that the hard work of the BN machinery all this while would gain support from the voters.

"Even though Sura is said to be PAS stronghold for winning the seat for two terms, but BN has never neglected Sura voters," she said.

For the record, the last time Terengganu BN fielded a woman candidate was in the GE12 in 2008 through Nordiana Shafie, who lost to a PAS candidate in Batu Buruk state seat.

Meanwhile, four 'comeback' candidates to contest in the GE14 would provide stiff competition to the opposition candidates in Terengganu.

They are Datuk Abd Halim Jusoh who is to contest the Permaisuri state seat, Datuk Mohamed Awang Tera (Chukai state seat), Datuk Rosol Wahid (Ajil state seat) and Datuk Din Adam (Bukit Besi state seat).

BN candidate for Kuala Nerus parliamentary seat Dr Tengku Asmadi Tengku Mohamad, 54, said his late mother, Fatimah Ab Rahman asked him to change the fate of the Kuala Nerus people if he was named as a candidate in the GE14.

"In her last days, when I asked for her blessing, she asked me to not to forget the poor if I become the people's representative...I will always remember her advice and this is what I will fight for," said the motivational speaker.

-- BERNAMA