Wan Azizah Wan Ismail

By Kazi Mahmood, IOL Southeast Asia Correspondent

KUALA LUMPUR , March 13 (IslamOnline.net) - Malaysia ’s ruling coalition, the National Front (NF) played Islamic wild cards, nominating several top Muslim scholars as candidates for the General Elections due March 21 while the Islamic Party of Malaysia (PAS) confirmed its drive to push for professionalism among its candidates.

Nomination day in Malaysia delivered no great surprises except that the Malaysian ruling coalition headed by Premier Abdullah Ahmad Badawi has opted to go along with the rising Islamic tide in Malaysia by choosing an Imam and a religious preacher as candidates to defend its rule in the multi-ethnic country.

The other significant event on the nomination day is that the Opposition PAS and Keadilan, is putting up a stiff fight against the NF with straight fights in almost all constituencies and parliamentary seats in the country.

The NF has, however, made a head start by taking an early lead; winning 14 Parliamentary seats unopposed while the PAS won its first historic seat in the state of Johore, a stronghold of the UMNO.

The seats were won on technicalities with several candidates disqualified on the nomination day Saturday, March 13.

The NF fielded Pirdaus Ismail, the former imam of the national mosque, to contest against Wan Azizah Wan Ismail, the wife of jailed former deputy Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim and leader of the opposition National Justice Party (Keadilan) in the Permatang Pau Parliamentary constituency.

Wan Azizah won the seat in 1999, which was held by her husband before he was jailed, by a huge 10,000 vote’s margin defeating the NF candidate from the United Malays National Organization (UMNO).

Indications are, however, that the opposition leader will have another safe passage to the Parliament, a Keadilan member told IslamOnline.net Saturday.

The NF also called on woman preacher-Motivational speaker Dr Masitah Ibrahim, who is contesting in the state of Kedah in Baling, against PAS' incumbent Taib Azamuddin Md Taib.

This is the first time that the NF calls on candidates with strong Islamic background in a bid to prevent the PAS from winning over the hearts of the Malay-Muslims in the country.

On its part, the PAS fielded Harun Din, a popular faith healer against the NF in the state of Perlis, where indications are that the battle between the UMNO and the PAS may be at its peak.

The PAS is hoping to win more seats in Perlis this time around and with Harun Din leading its candidates in the Northern State there are hopes among opposition members that the party may wrestle the state from the UMNO, though the latter party insisted Saturday evening it will not lose the state to the PAS.

The Malaysian Premier, meanwhile, said the NF was focusing on development issues as the people wanted a progressive nation.

"For the NF, we have Vision 2020, the Eighth Malaysia Plan that is under implementation and the Ninth Malaysia Plan that will be drafted as soon as possible."

Corruption is also the battle cry of both the NF and the PAS-Keadilan coalition, with the PAS hitting hard on the NF regime for alleged corrupt practices in several ministries and government run corporations.

He was also asked to comment on alleged palace (the King of Malaysia, whose brother is a candidate against PAS’s Harun Din in Perlis) interference in the choice of NF candidates for this election.

"I've not received the full report on the matter, if there is, I'm sad...," he said.

The elections, seen as a crucial test of leadership for Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, who took over from veteran leader Mahathir Mohamad when the latter retired last October after 22 years in power, are centered on issues of interests to the Malays in particular.

The Islamic Party won 2 states, Kelantan and Terengganu in the Northern Malay belt and gave a tough time to the UMNO in the state of Kedah, losing only by a slim margin against the ruling coalition.

Kedah is currently the focus of a royal battle between the UMNO and the PAS. Both parties say they will win the state, though the PAS agreed the battle will be tough.

Nevertheless, the NF showed it was much divided on choices of candidates with several of its member parties struggling to put forward their list of candidates after the shutting down of the Parliament for the 11^th Elections March 4.

The ruling coalition is expected to gain large support from the Chinese and Indian minorities in Malaysia while the Malay votes is bound to be divided between the PAS and UMNO though it is clear that the PAS may maintain its push in the

Malays, who are Muslims, make up some 60 percent of the 25 million people in the country while the Chinese community is the largest minority group with a percentage of 27 percent.