KUALA BESUT, July 24 — Terengganu folk will watch with bated breath today as Kuala Besut’s over 17,000 voters cast their ballots in a by-election that could result in what may be the first hung assembly in Malaysian history.

At curtain call tonight, only one contender in the two-man race will take a bow and claim his prize as the next assemblyman of the idyllic fishing village — Barisan Nasional’s (BN) Tengku Zaihan Che Ku Abdul Rahman or PAS’s Azlan Yusof.

A BN win would mean Terengganu’s political landscape remains at status quo.

But should Azlan score a surprise victory, it would result in both BN and Pakatan Rakyat (PR) holding 16 seats each in the 32-seat state legislative assembly or a hung assembly.

In such a case, Terengganu’s Sultan Tuanku Mizan Zainal Abidin would have to break the stalemate by either selecting an individual he feels commands the confidence of the majority in the assembly as the new mentri besar, or by consenting to a dissolution to pave the way for a fresh election.

PAS has been banking on this possibility in its campaign here, using the “16:16 Terengganu Baru” (16:16 a new Terengganu) slogan to make its case to Kuala Besut folk that a “16:16” outcome would create better check and balance in the government, even if Dauk Seri Ahmad Said is retained as mentri besar.

Its candidate Azlan, 48, known among locals as Che Long, is a popular figure known for his philanthropy and modesty.

The laidback PAS man, usually seen in loose baggy pants and sneakers, has been described by PAS with the phrase “mudoh bbaso, mudoh jembo” (easy to speak to, easy to approach).

Barisan Nasional’s (BN) Tengku Zaihan Che Ku Abdul Rahman and PAS’s Azlan Yusof on nomination day. — file pic

The Besut PAS treasurer holds a contractor certificate from the Malaysian Industrial Training Institute, and dabbles in the wood-product trade in addition to being a Class A contractor.

A former Besut Drainage and Irrigation Department engineer with a degree from Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM), Tengku Zaihan, 37, is considered by BN as a natural successor to the much-respected late Dr A. Rahman Mokhtar who had graduated in medicine from Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM).

Known by his new moniker Abe Ku, the BN candidate has been marketed as “anak ustaz, professional, ore mudo” (son of ustaz, professional, young). His father, Che Ku Abdul Rahman Abdullah, was one of the founders of SMKA Nurul Ittifaq here, a well-known religious secondary school.

The differences between the two cannot be clearer, despite both parties taking the approach of providing fresh faces.

Che Long seemed the reluctant politician, thrust into spotlight after he was named by PAS president Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang over several other names including Besut PAS Muslimat chief Napisah Ismail, who was afforded only one chance at the polls, and national ulama wing secretary Nik Muhamad Zawawi Nik Salleh, who has failed in two previous attempts.

His naïveté was obvious after he was caught on video conceding that he would hire assistants to take care of the constituents since he would be busy with his work, causing his critics from BN to pounce on him in the media.

As a result, the PAS man had transformed into a man of few words, with questions from reporters usually handled by his campaign manager Wan Azhar Wan Ahmad who was always by his side.

Kampung Tok Saboh in Kuala Besut is transformed into a carnival of sorts for the PAS ceramah held in the area on July 22, 2013. — Picture by Saw Siow Feng

In comparison, Tengku Zaihan who was always seen in his blue BN uniform seemed groomed for the limelight, always offering a couple of quips for the voters or the media to accompany his smiling demeanour.

Questions, however, remain over his sudden rise to the forefront over other grassroots leaders, especially since he had not spent time recently in his hometown of Kuala Besut.

He is also facing unlikely competition from the late assemblyman he has hoped to replace, as locals especially from Dr A. Rahman’s hometown Pulau Perhentian, still have doubts if his ordained successor can ever live up to the doctor’s legacy.

Azlan will be voting in SK Kampung Baharu here today, while Tengku Zaihan will cast his in SMK Kuala Besut.

Polling closes at 5pm today, and results are expected to be announced by 10pm after the customary tarawih prayers.

In Election 2013, Dr A. Rahman had defeated PAS’s Napisah Ismail with a comfortable 2,434-vote majority. The state seat has 17,679 registered voters, of whom 98 per cent are Malays.