KELANTAN Amanah is unique and will be given room to strategise according to the local political landscape, the party’s strategic director Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad said.

“Kelantan is very ‘local’ indeed. By way of Kelantan Amanah’s leadership, I think they have all rights to venture, to craft a local, political, ‘tactical move’.

“It’s up to them but they have to inform us. They say they know their situation better,” the Kuala Selangor MP told The Malaysian Insight.

He was responding to the announcement by Kelantan Amanah deputy chairman Che Ibrahim Mohamed last month that Umno veteran Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah will lead a bipartisan group in Kelantan to dislodge PAS from the state at the next general election.

The group is called Angkatan Amanah Merdeka Rakyat Kelantan and will be open to civil society groups as well.

PAS has been in power in Kelantan since 1990. Amanah, a splinter from the Islamist party formed in 2015, is the Pakatan Harapan (PH) coalition’s smallest member.

Dzulkefly said Kelantan is very unique and the party leadership has to listen to the state leadership before coming to any sort of conclusion.

“We are open to local considerations and electoral understanding or tactical moves, as long as they are within the purpose of putting Amanah in a better position,” the former health minister said.

The party’s Terengganu chapter, meanwhile, is reportedly open to working with Umno in the next general election even though Amanah is part of PH.

On this, Dzulkefly reiterated that the party would discuss the situation in all states, not just Kelantan, at its retreat in June.

“We will be addressing it. There should be clarity on this. There should be more debate so that a consensus can be achieved.

“We have to paint the likely scenarios, conditions and outlook prospects but at the end of the day, the national leadership, together with the state leadership and the parliamentary constituency leadership are all involved.

“Every state has its own unique variables and parameters that we have to take into consideration. We have to take them seriously and listen to the state leadership.”

Amanah president Mohamad Sabu said last month that the “big tent” approach promoted by some opposition members will not involve merging or cooperating with parties that are in the government. This would include Barisan Nasional, of which Tengku Razaleigh is member. 

The Gua Musang MP’s leadership of the bipartisan group in the state to topple PAS, however, would involve him as an individual.

Dzulkefly said Amanah must be in tune with the hopes and expectations of the Kelantan electorate.

“It is not only about getting state power but about serving the rakyat and getting them out of their current rut. We must strategise and plan local needs tactfully. We must have clear objectives and plans to achieve them.

“So, allow room for dissent and debate first before deciding the way forward. This is how the dynamism of political parties should always be sustained and maintained,” said Dzulkefly. – June 2, 2022.