Ruling party Umno has moved members to Terengganu in order to garner more votes in the 2004 general election, resulting in the party wrestling the state from PAS.

"They brought in members from Selangor and other states to add to the number of voters for Umno," charged PAS Kelantan Youth chief Mohamad Zaki Ibrahim today.

And now they are doing the same in Kelantan as a plan to replace PAS which has been ruling the state for the past 17 years, he added.

Zaki was responding comments made by Umno Youth vice chief Khairy Jamaluddin in The Star today that PAS was trying to relocate its members from its stronghold areas to weaker ones in Kelantan in order to retain its control in the next general election.

According to Khairy, PAS has been doing so since the last general election.

Zaki however said that Khairy's statement was to detract the people's attention to what Umno has done before.

"This is a statement made by Khairy to cover the wrongdoings by Umno to move voters from one locality to another as was done in 2004.

"Umno did the misdeed and Khairy is now throwing the allegations back at PAS," he said.

Zaki however denied that PAS was moving any members anywhere.

Proof of outside voters

The Kelaboran state assemblyperson said the party was ready to work with other government agencies to root out this problem.

"We are ready to work with Elections Commission, the National Registration Department, Umno or Umno Youth to fight against what Khairy has accused us of," he asserted.

He also said that PAS had proof of the existence of 7,000 people from outside Kelantan currently registered to vote in Kelantan.

"These voter-moving tactics were used by Umno over the entire Terengganu state causing Pas to lose the state to Umno. They are doing the same now in Kelantan."

"They are all queuing outside the EC office now", he pointed out.

PAS managed to retain Kelantan by the slimmest of margin in the last general election. The party, which is ruling the state since 1990, has 23 seats as opposed to Umno's 22.

Umno is quietly confident that it can topple PAS in the next general election, due to be held before April 2009.