BARISAN Nasional candidate Ramli Mohd Nor’s decision to contest in the Cameron Highlands by-election was a shocker for his family members and relatives, and they have yet to recover from the initial daze.

The family members – more than 100 in all – are firmly backing him to win the parliamentary seat come January 26, and hoping against hope that Ramli will make history as the first Orang Asli candidate in a federal seat.

Expressing pride for the retired senior police officer, cousin Rosli Bedak, 55, said that there was no doubt Ramli would receive the full support of his relatives, who all live in the Orang Asli village of Kg Menson.

“He never told anyone that he was going to join politics, so it was quite a surprise for us to find out that he decided to contest.

“We thought he would enjoy his retirement and come once in a while to check on his durian orchard here but he has now chosen to enter politics,” Rosli told The Malaysian Insight.

Ramli grew up in Kg Menson, a village dotted with tapioca and durian farms about 40 minutes away from the bustling Tanah Rata town.

Rosli said that Ramli usually returned to his village about three times a month to visit his relatives and check on his durian farm.

“His home, which is a bamboo hut, is still here. We have expanded it to fit in all our families.

“He always stays with us when he comes here,” he said.

Rosli said now that Ramli is a candidate who stands a good chance of winning, they hope that he will be able to take care of the Orang Asli community when he wins.

“What is lacking in all the Orang Asli villages is development. We need more inner roads to be built and we need electricity.

“There is also not enough work for the Orang Asli community,” he said.

The by-election will see a four-cornered fight between Ramli, Pakatan Harapan’s M. Manogaran, and independents Sallehudin Ab Talib and Wong Seng Yee.

Ramli’s uncle, Akau Adam, 73, meanwhile said his nephew has always been a disciplined person, even as a youngster, and had followed in his father’s footsteps.

“His father was an assistant commissioner of police, and that was why he also wanted to be a policeman.

“He is also a committed person and we are all rooting for him,” he said.

He added that Ramli liked farming and has more than 100 trees in his durian orchard.

“We will all be going out to support him in his campaign,” he said.

Ramli’s granddaughter, Zusilaini Zamani, 25, said it was a proud moment for the community when he got the green light to contest for BN.  

“When we heard he was going to contest, we were all happy for him. He has the support of all our relatives.

“We have also started going out to campaign for him. We hope he wins so that he will be able to help the Orang Asli community,” she said.

A former chief of commercial crime divisions in Penang and Negri Sembilan, Ramli is the first Semai candidate fielded by BN.

Besides being a retired police officer, Ramli is also a PhD candidate in business studies at the international University Of Malaya-Wales. – January 16, 2019.