KUALA BESUT, July 12 -- Datuk Ahmad Maslan called on Kuala Besut residents today to vote for Barisan Nasional’s (BN) candidate in the by-election in return for an MP being appointed a minister.

Former engineer Tengku Zaihan Che Ku Abdul Rahman the BN’s man and is up against local boy from PAS, Azlan Yusof, for the Terengganu state seat in the July 24 by-election.

Datuk Seri Idris Jusoh won the Besut parliamentary seat — of which Kuala Besut in under — with a 8,342 majority in the May polls, which saw him appointed as Education Minister II in Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s revamped cabinet.

“Now is the time for Kuala Besut folks to be grateful that their MP became a minister. And one at an important ministry, to boot,” Ahmad told reporters here.

The Umno information chief explained that the people of Kuala Besut should be proud that Idris’ ministry is responsible for 600,000 civil servants.

“The voice of a minister is much different from the voice of those who are not,” he added.

Ahmad also pointed out that Besut has been blessed with two other ministers in the past: former minister of public enterprise Tan Sri Dr Mohd Yusof Noor, and former minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Seri Prof Dr Abdullah Md Zin.

The subject of his praise, Idris, also shared his opinion, claiming that the people of Kuala Besut will continue to vote BN.

“Besut’s MP has also been promoted as a minister in a major ministry,” Idris told reporters, referring to himself.

“The people of Besut feel overjoyed, proud, and grateful. When they’re proud and grateful, how could they not vote for BN?” he asked.

Idris claimed that Kuala Besut folks are still in the same exact mood as in the general elections, but appeared to contradict himself when he claimed that BN can increase its majority in this by-election.

A long-serving statesman in Terengganu, Idris has been instrumental in winning back Terengganu from PAS in the 2004 general elections. BN had won 28 seats compared to PAS’ four.

Idris served as the state’s mentri besar up until after Election 2008, when the Sultan of Terengganu, Tuanku Mizan Zainal Abidin, refused to reappoint him and swore in Idris’ rival Datuk Seri Ahmad Said instead.