KELANTAN PAS has been sending its best and most influential speakers to persuade voters in the Klang Valley that mounting criticism against the state administration is nothing but spin by fellow opposition parties, especially Amanah.

With some 30% of Kelantan voters based in Kuala Lumpur and Selangor, the Islamist party has taken its battle to the Klang Valley to win the support and loyalty of grassroots supporters.

PAS Kelantan deputy Youth chief and renowned public speaker Nor Azaliza Mohamad Alami recently spoke to a group of supporters in Kuala Lumpur to explain the state of governance in Kelantan, where the party forms the government.

“All the issues brought up (by Amanah) about the Kelantan administration are part of a plan to overthrow the state government. It’s all done systematically, issue by issue, to attack Kelantan,” said Nor Azaliza at a surau in Rawang, Selangor, last Saturday.

“All of these have been orchestrated to cause a loss of confidence of the people in the Klang Valley towards the Kelantan government,” she told a crowd of about 100.

Her presence in the Klang Valley was in response to Amanah’s aggressive attacks against PAS from the party’s headquarters in Kuala Lumpur, where a majority of its urban-based supporters are based.

At a press conference on July 4, Kelantan Amanah adviser Husam Musa accused the Kelantan government of being involved in illegal deals involving a company blacklisted by Bank Negara.

usam said the Kelantan government had signed an agreement with Climate Protector Sdn Bhd, despite the fact that it was placed on a BNM watch list.

The Amanah vice-president, who has been named as the Kelantan menteri besar candidate should Pakatan Harapan wrest control of the state in the next elections, urged BNM to take harsh action against the company, which has been operating without a licence.

He also called on the central bank to nullify any agreement between the company and the state government.

Following the expose, the Kelantan government held an emergency meeting on July 6 to discuss the matter.

Nor Azaliza, or Ustaz Jaa, was then sent to Kuala Lumpur on July 8 to explain the issue to PAS supporters.

“The people in the Klang Valley are very exposed to social media, so we have to explain it to them,” she said during her talk last Saturday.

Her talk is part of a series of programmes organised by PAS to defend the Kelantan government against the recent criticism and attacks from Pakatan Harapan, specifically Amanah.

Other programmes in the series included a buka puasa event with Muslims from Kelantan, which was held in Shah Alam, as well as a Hari Raya event in the Klang Valley. Party insiders say more are in the pipeline.

Nor Azaliza was one of the main PAS speakers assigned on a roadshow at mosques nationwide, and hopefully woo PAS supporters who may have been influenced to switch their loyalties.

Known for her oratory and persuasive skills, she is one of many PAS leaders expected to hold talks addressing issues and criticism levelled against the party. – July 11, 2017.