By FMT StaffGUA MUSANG: Gua Musang Umno division chairman Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah's noticeable absence from the Galas by-election nomination centre has stirred some curioisty.
Even before the nomination process ended, Razaleigh, who led Semangat 46 before returning to Umno, was seen leaving with Umno supreme council member Ahmad Sabery Cheek, who incidentally was Semangat 46 information chief under Razaleigh.
Speculation is rife that a pow-wow is underway over the brewing crisis between Razaleigh's Semangat 46 supporters, who see new a dawn in Galas, and the embittered backers of former division chief Saufi Deraman.
Gua Musang division's women and Youth wings are not in sync with Razaleigh. Reports of 11 other council members at odds with Razaleigh have also surfaced.
Saufi's group has reportedly objected to Gua Musang Umno secretary Abdul Aziz Yusof as the candidate for the Galas state seat.
They claimed Saufi had "slogged for Gua Musang Umno" after Razaleigh left the party to lead Semangat 46. Saufi had later given way to Razaleigh to lead the division when the latter came back to Umno.
However, Razaleigh's “decision” to ignore Saufi and his supporters in favour of Aziz has divided the division for good.
Inside sources said that federal Umno leaders are fearful that the dissenting group will cost Umno a comeback in Galas.
Galas was an Umno stronghold until the 2008 general election when incumbent Chek Hashim Sulaima (PAS) beat Saufi by 646 votes.
"People still remember how Saufi was killed off in the last general election. Razaleigh's men did not support Saufi and back-stabbed him although Saufi had stepped aside for Razaleigh when he came back from Semangat 46.
"If this group pulls back, then Umno will not have that 50:50 chance it is talking about," the source said, adding that there were moves to mediate involving top party leaders.
Razaleigh has been in the shadow of Umno mainstream politics until he was appointed election director for the Galas state constituency by-election following the death of incumbent Chek Hashim of cancer on Sept 27.
No issue
Meanwhile, Kelantan Umno liaison chief Mustapa Mohamad has downplayed Razaleigh's disappearance.
Fending off newmen's queries, he said: "Ku Li (Razaleigh) prefers to be with the people. He did not want to come up... to him voters are more important... he has gone outside."
Umno Youth chief Khairy Jamaluddin also defended Razaleigh's disappearance with: "He was here with me this morning... but has since left."
Nominations closed with a straight between PAS candidate Zulkefli Mohamad and Umno's Abdul Aziz Yusoff.
Aziz is the Umno Gua Musang division secretary while Zukefli is deputy chief of Gua Musang PAS.
According to the Election Commission, Galas has 11,553 registered voters. Malays comprise 7,125 voters followed by Chinese at 2,317 and Indian 185. There are 1,889 Orang Asli and 10 Siamese Bumiputeras who are also registered as voters.
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