Umno Terengganu has taken heed of grassroots sentiments in putting together its team of election candidates - it claims that at least half of the line-up this time will comprise "fresh faces".

The new guard - dubbed 'MAP' for muda (young), akhlak (virtuous) and professional - will mainly comprise candidates with a professional background, said pro-tem committee member Rosol Wahid.

"We realised that the locals want to see fresh faces. This is why we came up with the (MAP) formula and will field accountants, lawyers and surveyors," he said when contacted.

"If all goes well, BN will have no problems winning the state back from PAS."

In the last general election, PAS won 28 out of 32 state assembly seats, and swept all eight parliamentary seat in Terengganu. There is no change in the number of seats to be contested in the state although a redelineation exercise was conducted last year.

Winning back Terengganu is seen as a major test for BN chairperson and acting Umno president Abdullah Ahmad Badawu, who has been supervising the Terengganu campaign since taking over the national political reins five months ago.

Rosol, who is expected to defend the Ajil state seat, said BN is confident of a good showing in several seats.

"We look good in Besut, Kemamam, Hulu Terengganu, Setiu and Kuala Nerus. I am confident that we will win at these places," he said,

"Of course, we will face a tough fight but not in many places...maybe in Dungun, Marang and Terengganu."

'What new faces?'

His claims were, however, disputed by PAS central committee member Dr Syed Azman Syed Ahmad Nawawi, who is expected to defend the Kuala Terengganu parliamentary seat.

Expressing doubts about the BN plan, he said: "They don't have any (new faces) to begin with. What they will do is to field old members who have not contested before. These are hardly new faces. The seniors cannot be sidelined because this would only rock the boat."

He said PAS will retain "95 percent" of its 1999 line-up as the feedback from voters indicates satisfaction with their performance. Abdul Hadi may defend the state seat of Ru Rendang and the Marang parliamentary seat.

Syed Azman said PAS candidates are more likely to focus on the big picture on the hustings, in particular, issues linked to federal government allocations and projects for the state.

Waiting game

While politicians exchange rhetoric, voters in Terengganu are watching and waiting to see the choices that they will be offered come nomination day on Saturday.

Those who voted in the 1999 outing still maintain that the BN line-up induced a swing away to PAS, and warned that the same fate lies ahead if no attempt is made to introduce changes.

Taxi driver Kamalruddin Abu Bakar said he would vote for Umno only if the party fields new faces.

"With new faces, they have a 50 percent chance of winning (the state). We are tired of the old ones...it is hardly a secret that some have a poor track record especially in managing public funds," he alleged.

"In 1999, Dr Mohd Yusof Noor (then incumbent Besut MP) would have been a popular choice over (then state BN leader) Wan Mokhtar Wan Ahmad, but the latter refused to give up power.

"To make matter worse, the assault of (ex-deputy premier) Anwar Ibrahim (while in police custody in September 19998) became an issue. Many were angry and retaliated by voting for PAS."

MB material

Another issue that could influence the vote swing in favour of BN is its likely candidate for menteri besar.

Locals said that BN must be able to produce "an equally credible candidate" if it wants to defeat PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang, who has been the menteri besar since 1999.

An accounts officer interviewed claimed that the people of Terengganu "are proud to have Abdul Hadi as leader".

Rosol, though, countered that Abdul Hadi was not as influential as he had been during the 1999 election campaign.

"I've been told that some of his ceramah (political talks) were attended by only 20 people. He is not strong as (PAS spiritual leader) Nik Aziz (Nik Mat). Hadi has a rougher personality and is less appealing to many people," he said.

Not everyone would agree with his view. A government servant, who attended Abdul Hadi's religious talk at the Rusila mosque last Friday, described Rosol's assessment as cakap politik kosong (empty rhetoric)

"Look around...there must be almost 20,000 people here. This is normal whenever Tuan Guru (as Hadi is popularly known) is home," he said, referring to the crowd listening to the sermon.

"I've seen as many as 60,000 people, some of them from Kuala Lumpur who took the trouble to come to an obscure place like this (Rusila). How can anyone even begin to compare him with Umno leaders?"

He also said Umno has not been able to accuse PAS of anything more than failure to deliver development to the state.

"If so, it is only because the federal government has stopped payment of the oil royalty to the state. Even then, PAS has managed to reduce state debts and improve the economy. Umno couldn't do that when it was in power, although it could utilise the royalty," he added.