ABSTRACT
The political machination within the United Malays National Organisation (UMNO) and Parti Islam se-Malaysia (PAS) in Terengganu and the implications of internal feuds in both on electoral trends were issues that were difficult to gauge before Malaysia’s General Election 14 (GE14). Terengganu was a state that Malaysia’s leading Malay-based parties, PAS and UMNO, targeted winning in GE14. However, the political trends in this state did not follow national trends, and the electorate was not necessarily affected by federal-level issues raised by the opposition.
This chapter examines the political situation in Terengganu, in the context of the approaches and strategies of UMNO and PAS in GE14. It includes an analysis of the implications of serious intra-elite feuding in both these Malay-based parties in this state. This study also investigates the nature and content of campaign appeals and debates prior to GE14 and their implications for the emergence of a new political culture and style of politics, with specific reference to PAS. This chapter also reviews important factors that led to the success of PAS in capturing control of Terengganu as well as the prospect of this party retaining control of the state.
