EVEN before news of the 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB) scandal broke, former Barisan Nasional deputy minister Mohd Shariff Omar was already disillusioned by his party, Umno.

After an unsuccessful bid as an independent candidate for the Tasek Gelugor parliamentary seat against Umno in the 2013 general election, Shariff now has more allies and a bigger election machinery at his back.

He is now gunning for the seat again, this time under the banner of Bersatu, a Pakatan Harapan component party.

Shariff is betting on his years as service as an MP and rising anger towards BN to help him regain a constituency he has served for close to two decades.

He was told to give up his seat in the 2008 general election to make way for federal minister, who was also from Penang.

He agreed after the party assured him that the constituency would receive development and services that benefitted the people.

“It turned out to be lip service, just slogans…when I was MP, I saw to the building of mosques, surau, community halls, football fields and business complexes.

“I expected development to improve after I had given up the seat, but I hardly saw any improvement. I felt I could no longer trust its leaders,” he told The Malaysian Insight.

Independent run

So, in the 2013 polls, Shariff decided to run as an independent candidate against Umno in Tasek Gelugor and the Sungai Dua state seat.

He knew the price, which was expulsion from Umno.

“(My former party colleague the late former mininster) Jamaluddin Jarjis wanted to talk when he heard (of my decision).

“He wanted to negotiate, I think. But I told him I had made up my mind and won’t turn back,” he said.

Shariff said his anger with Umno was not personal, as he would not have given up the seat if he had taken the matter personally.

“No division leader will give up his seat so easily, without conditions. But I did.

“I was still the Tasek Gelugor Umno division leader and there was no issue with my service when I was asked to step aside.

“I thought it would benefit the people. I was giving way to a minister. I was just a deputy,” he said.

As expected, Shariff was trounced in the 2008 polls. He only managed about 1,500 votes as compared to BN’s Nor Mohamed Yakcop (24,393) and PAS man Abdul Rahman Maidin’s 21,351.  

Nor Mohamed’s win ensured he served as second finance minister for another term, but he was not fielded in 2013.

Umno’s Shabudin Yahya, who was formerly Permatang Berangan assemblyman, stood in Tasek Gelugor for BN in the last election and won.

“I was alone with a few supporters and no machinery. PAS had offered to let me contest as its candidate, but I declined.”

Long-time Umno man

Hailing from Bukit Mertajam, Shariff was an Umno and government man for most of his life.

The Universiti Malaya economics graduate, who majored in rural development, held various government positions since leaving university in 1972.

He once served as assistant district officer in Pekan, Pahang. His civil service career then took him to Perak before he returned to Penang.

It was in Penang where he built his political career as Tasek Gelugor Umno division chief for over two decades and an elected rep for six terms.

He was first Sungai Dua assemblyman and a state exco from 1982 to 1990.

He was elected Tasek Gelugor MP in 1990, and was the Agriculture Ministry’s parliamentary secretary in Dr Mahathir Mohamad’s administration until 1995.

“When the 1995 polls came, (the then deputy prime minister) Anwar Ibrahim told me to return to the Penang (state government).

“I contested in the Ara Rendang state seat (now Permatang Berangan) in Tasek Gelugor. I won and was made deputy chief minister until 1999,” he said.
Shariff returned to parliament as Tasek Gelugor MP after winning the 1999 election with a 4,236 vote-majority. In the 2004 polls, he defended the seat with a 10,183-vote majority.

He was appointed agriculture and agro-based industries deputy minister, working with the then minister Muhyiddin Yassin.

Switching sides

After Umno sacked him, Shariff become opposition-friendly, helping PKR president Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail campaign in the Kajang and Permatang Pauh by-elections in 2014 and 2015.

He attended and spoke at opposition ceramah, sharing the stage with Anwar, who had become opposition leader, and DAP’s Lim Kit Siang and Lim Guan Eng.

But he only returned to party politics after Dr Mahathir’s Bersatu came along in late 2016.

“(Bersatu president) Muhyiddin invited me. We have known each other for years. I didn’t say, ‘yes’, immediately. 
“My wife had wanted me to retire. In the end, I managed to convince her. I felt I should help Muhyiddin and Bersatu fight Umno,” he said.

Same life

Now, the 70-year-old is back in active politics, helping his new party prepare for the 14th general election in Penang, where he is the state Bersatu deputy chairman.

His job includes getting the Tasek Gelugor election machinery ready.

“We have to organise outreach programmes, train polling and counting agents, canvass for votes, and work out the logistics for the campaigning period and election day.

“I did that in Umno. The work is the same. Only the party is different, and that it lacks resources,” Shariff said.

“So, we can only tell our members to focus on the struggle to fight the kleptocratic government.” – February 11, 2018.