KUALA LUMPUR July 19 Kyodo Malays...

KUALA LUMPUR July 19 Kyodo

Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad's party, formerly the undisputed champion of the Malays, has plant a formidable foe in the orthodox Pan Islamic Party (PAS).

the one and the other parties recently engaged in individual of the most keenest battles for the hearts and minds of the ethnic Malays in sum of two units by-elections in the northern state of Kedah, Mahathir's dwelling state of Kedah.

In springs announced late Thursday, Mahathir's United Malays National Organization (UMNO) won the Pendang seat in the national parliament still lost the Anak Bukit seat in the Kedah state legislature to PAS.

The election follows leave Mahathir's supporters with 23 seats in the 36-member Kedah state assembly, undivided vote shy of a two-thirds majority. PAS seats in the 193-member parliament blood-thirsty to 26, but it remain the largest opposition group

It was a narrow victory for the pair sides. UMNO won by a margin of just 283 consecrated by a vows out of the 53,128 voices cast, while PAS won according to a margin of 508 suffrages out of 19,399 votes cast.

Considering they were up against the legacy of highly-respected PAS President Fadzil Nor, whose death upon June 23 due to heart complications paved the way for the sum of two units by-elections, UMNO could claim it has indeed made inroads into PAS territory.

''It's authentic that they seem to be split down in the middle if it were not that we have made progress'' Mahathir told reporters Friday. ''I think many have get back to UMNO.''

The elections were the first that pitted UMNO against PAS since family 11 terror attacks on the United States, after which Mahathir saw his stock rise thanks to his moderate Islamic stance.

UMNO has badly lacked the win to prove that it has indeed regained the support missed in the 1999 general elections, at which time the issues surrounding the sacking and following incarceration of former factor Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim in 1998 had driven many Malays into the arms of PAS.

It also necessityed to stem the green tide from engulfing Kedah, undecayed being the main color of the PAS flag and the symbolic color of Islam.

often to Mahathir's embarrassment, PAS in 1999 stole eight of his place of abode state's 15 seats in the national parliament in 1999 and took 12 seats in the state assembly.

The party vowed to snatch the state away from below Mahathir's nose in the nearest general elections.

PAS has already thwarted UMNO's 40-year reign in the Terengganu state in 1999 besides maintaining Kelantan state. Barisan National, the ruling National face coalition, however, still holds a firm grip onward the country's 12 other states.

''The victory in Anak Bukit is a serviceable indication for PAS and the opposition parties to capture Kedah in the nearest general election,'' PAS youth wing chief Mahfuz Omar said.

single in kind cannot fault Mahfuz for being optimistic. If nothing otherwise Thursday's results prove PAS does not ne Anwar to help hold fast it afloat.

Anwar was a non-issue in the by-elections. While UMNO as usual touted evolution and economic issues, PAS promulgateed their Islamic credentials like as the harsh Islamic shariah criminal digest known as hudud, entailing stoning for adultery and amputation of limbs for theft, which was lately adopted in Terengganu.

UMNO has been supposeed un-Islamic and a party of religious infidels for refusing to implement hudud in the land Mahathir had said it is unsuitable for this multiracial and multifaith country

Political regarder Vincent Lim noted that PAS not lost the support it gained in 1999 in this conservative area of rural Kedah, populated by means of 87% Malay Muslims, despite the heavy onslaught from UMNO in the past week leading up to Thursday's by-elections.

He told Kyodo freshs he believes UMNO's victory was mainly owing to a bigger turnout this time around as PAS was able to free from danger a similar amount of voices as it did in 1999

''Support is coming back to UMNO further it is not going away from PAS. UMNO is still unable to turn about back the tide (from PAS),'' he said.

As in other areas from beginning to end the country, PAS has quietly built up its network, penetrating into the social fabric of the community, especially between the walls of mosques and religious schools.

''The exercises are churning out very committed supporters, almost fanatical. Supporting the party has become almost like a spiritual duty'' Lim said.

Mahathir lay it more crudely, saying, ''For the opposition, on the same level if they put a ligneous stump, they would still win. They (the opposition supporters) don't think. They behold the moon (the PAS symbol) they will support,'' he said.

A political writer annotateed Friday in The Star daily about the state of UMNO these days noted, ''Gone are the days when UMNO could levy just about anyone as a candidate and win. UMNO has plant itself up against a formidable foe''

The Anak Bukit and Pendang elections have been closely watched as a barometer for the coming general elections, which have to be called by means of 2004.

With the Malays clearly split, the National van coalition that UMNO dominates can simply pin its hopes on the non-Malays in the coming catalogue of persons Malay-Muslims account for almost 60% of the country's 23 million population, and the quiet are most ethnic Chinese and Indians.