Kelantan will shun Pakatan as long as Dr Mahathir, DAP in pact

SM Amin SM Amin Updated 7 years ago · Published on 1 Nov 2018 7:00AM · 8 Comments

Kok Majid villagers playing checkers at a coffee shop in Tumpat. In GE14, Pakatan Harapan lost the deposits of 47 candidates vying for 59 parliamentary and state seats in Kelantan. – The Malaysian Insight pic by Hasnoor Hussain, November 1, 2018.

PAKATAN Harapan will not make any inroads into Kelantan as long as Dr Mahathir Mohamad and DAP remain in the pact, said voters in the PAS-ruled state.

They told The Malaysian Insight that another reason they will not allow PH in is because it does not give prominence to Islam.

The Dr Mahathir factor is a continuation of Kelantanese’s dislike for the man who had left the state isolated and deprived of development during his first tenure as prime minister.

Mahmud Ali said although Dr Mahathir is now with PH, he still carries the national agenda, and not the Islamic agenda that Kelantan folk want.

“There is a sentiment against Dr Mahathir in Kelantan. We hate him, in fact. The Prophet does not accept someone who sold us off.

“When he was with Umno, he stopped money from coming into Kelantan. He even stopped our oil royalty. Now he is with PH, but he is still the same, maybe even worse, because he rejects Islam.

“After they formed the government, they approved beer festivals. How can we, as Muslims, accept this? So, why must we support these people?” said the 77-year-old from Pengkalan Chepa.

When PAS took over Kelantan in 1990, Dr Mahathir stopped oil royalty payments to the new state government. In the following years, federally funded development projects were also discontinued, resulting in the state becoming the country’s poorest.

Kelantan voters rejected PH in the 14th general election, with the pact losing the deposits of 47 candidates vying for 59 parliamentary and state seats in the state.

Among those who suffered heavy losses was Nik Omar Nik Abdul Aziz, the son of the late PAS spiritual leader Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat. He contested on an Amanah ticket, and was initially considered a “game changer” for PH.

When PAS took over Kelantan in 1990, Dr Mahathir Mohamad, then in his first tenure as prime minister, stopped oil royalty payments to the new state government. In the following years, federally funded development projects were also discontinued, resulting in the state becoming the country's poorest. – The Malaysian Insight pic by Najjua Zulkefli, November 1, 2018.

Pok Mat Bakar said voters rejected Nik Omar as his struggle for Islam is not the same as his father’s.

The 69-year-old said Nik Aziz had been an equal to Dr Mahathir, and had always felt that the prime minister’s intelligence was not used to develop and promote Islam.

Nik Omar’s insistence on contesting for PH, despite objections by his mother, Tuan Sabariah Tuan Ishak, was another reason for his embarrassing defeat, said Pok Mat.

He added that the other PH candidates lost because they had “used” Nik Omar for the pact’s political gain.

“Nik Omar had said PH could win Kelantan, but here, people do not like him. Even his own mother rejected his decision to contest against PAS.

“He neglected what his father used to fight for. He became friends with those who reject Islam,” said Pok Mat in Pulau Melaka, which is in the Chempaka state constituency, where Nik Omar had contested.

A local voter who wanted to be known only as Rohani said Kelantanese rejected Amanah because of its close relationship with DAP, a party seen to be rejecting Islam.

“PAS fought against DAP because DAP rejected Islam. When PAS wanted to introduce Islamic laws, DAP mocked us, saying we were going to chop off limbs.

“Islamic laws do not call for that. There must be solid evidence for one to be punished according to hudud, but DAP rejected this.

“This is what Amanah must do to gain support here – reject DAP,” she said in Tumpat. – November 1, 2018.

Nik Omar Nik Abdul Aziz (pic), the son of the late PAS spiritual leader Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat, was among those who suffered heavy losses in Kelantan in GE14. He contested on an Amanah ticket, and was initially considered a 'game changer' for PH. – The Malaysian Insight file pic, November 1, 2018.

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Comments

  • A lot of Malaysians and political analysts fail to understand that altho Kelantan and tganu voters think that they are king, their votes amount to only 10% of total parliament seats. Hence they will not decide the ge outcome unlike East Malaysia

    Posted 7 years ago by Ashton Alexander · Reply

  • Lihat didalam cermin. The poorest state in the country with all the social ills and here all these cavemens can talk about others. Bodoh. Religion really makes them stupid and useless.

    Posted 7 years ago by Jackal Way · Reply

  • A Malaysian Aceh is forming.

    Posted 7 years ago by Tanahair Ku · Reply

  • They deserve what they got and what they will be getting.

    Posted 7 years ago by Yoon Fatt Ng · Reply

  • they are not totally stupid. they cari makan in pork eating states and bring the non halal money back to kelantan and demand an islamic state. they want the best of both worlds

    Posted 7 years ago by Choo nai kwong · Reply

  • PH will shun the Government of Kelantan as long as PAS is in cooperation with UMNO by stopping financial aid to pay the civil servants in the State. Then all the arrogant noises from the PAS leaders will cease. Beggars who bite the hand that feeds it. Reeks of incredible stupidity.

    Posted 7 years ago by Panchen Low · Reply

  • The Kelantanese are exercising their democratic rights, totally no harm there.

    Posted 7 years ago by Teruna Kelana · Reply

  • Its their choice. Not that it matters that much

    Posted 7 years ago by NA Bayezid · Reply