Hadi Awang Joins Nik Aziz in Sticking his Foot in It in Kuala Besut

With early voting already underway in Kuala Besut, all delusions of gentlemanly conduct seem to have gone out of the window as PAS spiritual leader Datuk Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat proved this week.

Speaking at a ceramah late Thursday night, the former Kelantan MB set the tone when he accused Umno of being "evil" and "rejecting Islam."

This was of course despite the existing agreement between PAS and Barisan Nasional to conduct a clean and civil campaign in respect of the fasting month.

Presumably this was the same sort of agreement Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim made with Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak through Jusuf Kalla prior to GE13 – one that PAS never had any intention of actually honouring.

And with PAS support in the seat wavering, reinforcements for the 82-year-old are being jetted in from all over (just don't mention Bangladesh).

Uncertainty in the Islamist party's inner sanctum must be at a high after party President Datuk Seri Hadi Awang made an enforced appearance.

Probably thinking he was being clever, the PAS President 'pulled an Anwar' this weekend when he patronised the largely rural community in what was actually an impressive fashion given the limited time he is spending there.

Describing fishermen for example, who clearly have to work extremely hard to make a living, as "idle", the Marang MP said that they should use a different kind of net (the internet) to learn more about politics and make an "informed" choice.

"Kuala Besut people have to learn from the educated," he said, ironically without thinking.

"We won many seats in Terengganu but here... we lose. We are not blaming the Kuala Besut people as they are busy working and do not have time to access the internet."

For a man who previously had enjoyed good popularity ratings there, expect his mealy-mouthed comments to cause his cachet in the state to drop.

From Umno one of the most important messages came from Supreme Council member Datuk Seri Ahmad Shabery Cheek who called on voters to remember the failings of PAS in Terengganu when it ruled the state from 1999 to 2004.

"I do not want to talk about development because PAS is not interested in development. There were no mosques, madrasah, religious schools and roads built at that time," he reminded.

"But, we must remember how cruel they were when they chased away kindergarten pupils from schools throughout Terengganu."

He was referring to the infamous incident in 2000 when the PAS State Government removed some 40,000 children from pre-school after issuing a directive that all multi-purpose halls, civic and community centres must not be used for their education.

The State Government even instructed the Kemas kindergartens to repair, at their cost, all the buildings before handing them over to the Terengganu PAS for their own use.

Perhaps the 1,148 members of the police and armed forces eligible to for early voting will have remembered their grim past and make sure they vote for a positive future.

The rest of the voters who take to the polls on Wednesday would do well to keep the Communication and Multimedia Minister's words in mind.