KEMAMAN – The resounding victory by Parti Islam Se-Malaysia’s (PAS) candidate Dato’ Seri Ahmad Samsuri Mokhtar in the Kemaman by-election in Terengganu is the springboard for the party’s ambitions at the federal level as analysts say it now has a suitable leader it can put to the fore for national leadership.
At the same time, the landslide margin attained by Dr Ahmad Samsuri is an indication that Prime Minister Dato Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s continuous efforts, through policy and campaigning to appeal to the Malay Muslim voters, have not borne fruit.
Beyond that, analysts also believe that the by-election highlights Barisan Nasional’s (BN) losing grip of the Malay heartland.
Ahmad Samsuri won by a 37,220-vote majority in a straight fight against BN candidate and former army chief Raja Mohamed Affandi in the by-election that was held on Saturday (Dec 2).
The victory was a wider margin attained than when PAS’ candidate Che Alias Hamid won the seat in the 15th General Election (GE15) held a year ago.
Ahmad Samsuri is known by locals as Dr Sam, he holds a PHD in aeroengine ignition and combustion from Leeds University and is seen as a non-cleric PAS leader who can appeal to voters across all ethnicities.
The contest over the weekend shone a spotlight on Dr Ahmad Samsuri who made national headlines after chairman of the opposition Perikatan Nasional (PN) coalition and former prime minister Muhyiddin Yassin said during the campaign that “it cannot be denied” that fielding him in Kemaman was a stepping stone to pave the way for Dr Ahmad Samsuri to be a future prime minister candidate.
PAS is a component party within the PN coalition along with Muhyiddin’s Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (Bersatu) and Parti Gerakan Rakyat Malaysia (Gerakan).
“So all these moves are strategic steps which can show to the rakyat (public) we have many leaders who are intelligent, capable, with praiseworthy behaviour, and that there are moderates and professionals (among us),” said Muhyiddin.
Speaking to reporters after his victory on Saturday, Ahmad Samsuri played down the hype but did not rule out the possibility of taking on the role in the future.
“When I joined politics, it was never my target to hold such a high position (prime minister), but maybe in the future, if given the mandate by the party and people… I will consider it,” he said.
Ahmad Samsuri meanwhile, has embarked on his inaugural official duty today by visiting the Kemaman Port.
As the Menteri Besar of Terengganu, he observed the testing of two new gantry cranes at the East Wharf of the port, slated to commence operations in March of the coming year.
Expressing optimism, Ahmad Samsuri highlighted that the introduction of these additional gantry cranes would significantly enhance the efficiency of Kemaman Port, ultimately delivering economic advantages to the residents of the district.
Anticipating a surge in the frequency of cargo ships entering the port, he emphasized the positive impact on local industry players.
“The operation of the additional gantry crane will double the efficiency of Kemaman Port and bring economic benefits to the residents of this district,” Ahmad Samsuri stated during the visit at East Pier, Kemaman Port.
The installation of the two new gantry cranes is expected to boost Kemaman Port’s cargo transportation capacity from four million metric tons to an impressive 10 metric tons annually.
Ahmad Samsuri expressed his hope that the port’s development would attract more companies to invest in and expand their operations within the district, thereby creating additional employment opportunities for the local population.
The move aligns with a broader vision to stimulate economic growth and prosperity in Kemaman.
