With the 88% Malay voters in the Kuala Terengganu parliamentary by-election in a very tight contest, the 8,787 Chinese voters representing 11.4% of the Kuala Terengganu electorate have emerged as the “kingmakers” in the Kuala Terengganu parliamentary by-election on January 17, 2009.

They will decide which candidate wins the Kuala Terengganu by-election.

Last night after the morning nomination, I attended a 10,000-peope mammoth PAS ceramah at Astaka, Tanjong as well as a close-to-a-thousand-people dinner ceramah organized by Kuala Terengganu DAP within 24 hours.

Mammoth PAS ceramahs are not unusual in Terengganu but what was unprecedented and most encouraging was the very enthusiastic support at the dinner ceramah, not only by the some 500 people at the dinner but also by the 300-400 people who stood outside the restaurant to follow the four hours of speeches.

Was this a sign that the Chinese in Kuala Terengganu have woken up and are standing up, not only for their rights as voters in the state but as citizens of Malaysia?

I was told that the Chinese voter support in Kuala Terengganu leaned 60 to 40 in favour of the PAS and Pakatan Rakyat candidate, Mohd Abdul Wahid Endut as against the Umno and Barisan Nasional candidate Wan Ahmad Farid Wan Salleh.

But I learnt that these were also the odds at the start of the general election in March last year with the PAS candidate Mohd Sabu taking an early lead against his opponent Razali Ismail immediately after nomination – but the Kuala Terengganu parliamentary race in the last general election ended in 60-to-40 in favour of the Umno candidate among the Chinese voters.

As I told the dinner ceramah last night, the Chinese voters of Kuala Terengganu must not allow a repeat of the last general election outcome, with the favourable odds of 60 – 40 Chinese voter support for Mohd Sabu at the beginning of the election campaign turned around to 40-60 on polling day.

Instead, the Kuala Terengganu Chinese voters should ensure that their support for the PAS and Pakatan Rakyat candidate is increased to 70-30 by polling day on January 17 to seal their role as the “king-makers” in the by-election.

The January 17 by-election is an unique opportunity for the 80,229 voters of Kuala Terengganu to write history for they will be voting not just who should be their MP as their votes will have with greater import and more far-reaching consequences.

They should use their votes on January 17 not just to speak for themselves but for 27 million Malaysaians for political change and national renewal.

If they vote and elect the PAS and Pakatan Rakyat candidate to be the MP for Kuala Terenganu, they will be launching a second wave of political tsunami after the March 8 general election last year – sending out the clear and unmistakable message that Malaysians are prepared to transform the national political landscape even with a change of the federal government in the next general election.

This will make the role of the 8,787 Chinese voters even more significant – not just as the “kingmakers” of who is to win the Kuala Terengganu by-election but to spearhead a historic mission to trigger a new political tsunami to bring about far-reaching political, economic, educational, social and nation-building reforms after more than half-a-century of nationhood.

The January 17 Kuala Terengganu by-election is thus a historic mission for the 80,229 voters as well as for the 8,787 Chinese voters!