DESPITE being a famous local boy, Kelantan DAP chief Zaid Ibrahim faces an uphill battle getting Malays in the state to support his party and the Pakatan Harapan ruling coalition.

This is due to the parochial nature of the Kelantanese and their view of the DAP as a “foreign party” with no presence or history in the northeastern state, said analysts.

DAP also has a long way to fight off the anti-Islam label “bestowed” by its arch-rival PAS, the Islamist party that has controlled Kelantan for three decades.

Even if Zaid is able to expand DAP’s influence in Kelantan, it will be limited to the state capital of Kota Baru and the rural district of Gua Musang, where the party enjoys a strong following among certain Orang Asli tribes.

“Zaid’s personality as a local boy, as a former parliamentarian and minister will help him in his mission, as he has a certain following in Kelantan,” said political scientist Dr Kamarul Zaman Yusof.

Zaid was an MP for Kota Baru from 2004 to 2008 when he was in Umno. He was also minister in the prime minister’s department in charge of legal affairs during that time.

“But to change the overall Kelantanese mindset is difficult due to their strong sentiments,” said Kamarul of Universiti Utara Malaysia (UUM).

Zaid was appointed as Kelantan DAP’s pro tem chief as the party seeks to open chapters in the state and Terengganu.

The Kelantanese chapter currently has about 6,000 members in 38 branches as compared with only seven before the 14th general election.

The biggest rise in members is in Gua Musang, where it has set up eight branches and registered 2,000 members as compared with Kota Baru, which has seven branches.

About 1,000 of its members are Malays, said Kelantan DAP secretary Chua Chin Hui.

Another analyst Fadzul Rahimi Ahmad Bustami said the Kelantanese rejected PH and its component parties in GE14 because many were seen as foreign entities without a grassroots presence.

In GE14, Malay-based PH parties, such as Bersatu and Amanah, were soundly defeated in Kelantan even though they fielded well-known local personalities, such as Husam Musa and Nik Omar Nik Abdul Aziz.

Zaid’s presence would help the DAP grow in Kelantan but it is unlikely to shift the majority Malay perception towards PH.

“DAP has no icon in Kelantan to lead it and Zaid has his own followers and is known as a hardworking leader who goes to the grassroots,” said Fadzlul, a researcher from Universiti Malaysia Kelantan.

“It’s a good platform for Kelantan DAP to grow,” said Fadzlul, who wrote a paper titled The Malay voting pattern and the future of Pakatan Harapan in Kelantan.  

Kamarul believes Zaid can expand DAP’s influence if he manages to rope in other bigger Malay personalities.

“We shall see how good he is. DAP will be considered successful if it can set up branches and divisions in all districts throughout the state.”

Kamarul dded that Zaid’s new appointment could be the start of his return to active politics after a long hiatus.

“This move is a clear sign that he wants to come back to active politics. In the past, he wasn’t given much opportunity to lead. Now he has a platform to garner support and cement his base.” – January 24, 2020.