GE13: The changing tide of politics in Kelantan?
Fakhrul Razi told fz.com why he thinks more and more Kelantanese are beginning to pay attention to Umno. “It would have been wrong if I had not entered politics. I decided to do so when PAS said that it is okay for non-Muslims to use the word ‘Allah'”
A LONG line of Federal Reserve Unit trucks and a water cannon scream through the town towards the Kota Baru stadium. The police are bracing for fights that might erupt as the Kelantan football team would be meeting Vietnam that night.
“Kelantan Umno state chief Tok Pa (Datuk Seri Mustapa Mohamed) is expected to attend the match. It is not like he is much of a football fan but this time Kelantan Umno is going all out to get the state,” explained the taxi driver.
Kelantanese are known to be football fanatics.
Right in front of the Umno Kelantan office, there is a big billboard of illegal state land clearing data. The office itself is a hive of activity, as Umno members gather in droves for last-minute briefings and to get certain CDs, “Keluargaku pengundi BN” (My family are BN voters) stickers and other pro-BN pamphlets which they are supposed to disseminate when they get home.
The CD is a compilation of alleged PAS follies while governing – mainly land-based issues – and a continuously-repeated clip of Opposition Leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim singing Azizah tak datang (Azizah is not coming) as former PKR MP Zulkifli Nordin lists out what Pakatan will do during the run-up to the 13th general election.
(The PAS state government has come under fire for alleged clearing of about 1.7 million acres of state land and selling them to private companies, claimed to be crony companies of top PAS leaders.)
Right beside the Kelantan Umno office, is the Umno Kota Baru office, also very busy as hundreds of carefully gift-wrapped towels, instead of the traditional gift of batik sarongs, attached with Umno KB manifesto, are unloaded from Skuad Sayang vans belonging to Wanita Umno. These are to be handed out to supporters later during the campaign period.
Previous general elections have not seen this much activities on the Umno side. In Kelantan, BN is very much represented by Umno only – MCA and MIC are mere mentions in a state where Malays comprise of almost 94% of its population.
The secretary of Kota Baru Umno, Zulkifli Abd Ghani, said that he feels that this election will see more votes for Umno.
“Now, we feel that we have a chance. More people are attending our ceramah,” said Zulkifli.
He said Kelantan politics is changing. Umno is attracting even ulama now, with some joining the party, unlike before when the norm is for ulama to join PAS.
Read more at: http://fz.com/content/ge13-changing-tide-politics-kelantan
