The carnival begins - malaysiakini

The roads leading into town are jammed as police mount roadblocks even before dawn as far away as Cendering.

What looks like thousands of BN supporters have been gathering from before 7am in Seri Iman, the huge official home of the Terengganu MB, for the march to the indoor stadium where the nomination will be held.

A breakfast buffet of the state’s specialties – nasi dagang and a variety of rich kueh – were served to the crowds.

A brief kerfuffle broke out between the sexes over what to carry – umbrellas, or BN and Umno flags – during the march, which is expected to start at 9am.

Several rounds of the BN anthem are played to further raise the spirits of the crowd ... which is already impossibly high.

It is noisy and packed and more festive than most New Year’s Eve celebrations ... if not for the pervasive presence of police personnel all over the streets.

The road directly in front of the indoor stadium, which incidentally resembles a mall front, has been sectioned off. It looks like a DMZ.

The road after that, which is in front of the district clinic, is like a market.

Vendors there are selling T-shirts featuring Pas president Hadi and various merchandise. Sadly, there are no buyers.

Unlike the BN side of the divide, the air here is heavy with the sound of silence. Tension is high.

Then all of a sudden, the tension breaks. Shouts of "Allahu Akbar!" fill the air as a small band makes its way up the street.

A pair of weighing scales against dark blue is spotted on the shirt of the leading man. On the sidewalk a group of white capped men shout in Malay: "Just wait here!" In the Sultan Muhamud Mosque, named after the King's late father, locally known as the Ladang Mosque, vendors selling fried snacks and balloons wait for customers who don't come.

- MORE TO COME.