AFTER a while, sitting on the sidelines as a bystander could not remain an option for Umno veteran Kamarudin Mohd Noor.

Not after seeing his good friend Muhyiddin Yassin sacked as deputy prime minister for speaking up against wrongdoing or witnessing a 92-year-old politician dust off the cobwebs of retirement and seeing his beloved Malaysia lurch from one crisis to another.

So after an eight-year break from politics, Kamarudin is going to contest the Pasir Puteh parliamentary seat in Kelantan under Bersatu colours.

“I was moved to join Bersatu after it was formed for one reason – serving this country. Because I can see what is happening to the country now.”

Kamarudin, who is a good friend of Bersatu president Muhyiddin, said given the events in Malaysia, he could not remain an observer of politics.

“If my close friend Muhyiddin is willing to be fired for criticising 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) and Dr Mahathir (Mohamad) who is already 92 is active again, why not me,” said the father of 10.

Kamarudin, 70, is expected to face top leaders from Barisan Nasional and PAS in a three-cornered fight in the 14^th general election.

PAS is expected to place Nik Zawawi Salleh, secretary of the Majlis Syura Ulama, while BN is expected to field Ashraf Wajdi Ahmad Dasuki, deputy minister in the prime minister’s department, as candidates in Pasir Puteh.

PAS won the seat in the last three elections, defeating the BN candidate from Umno.

In the 13th general election, PAS’ Nik Mazian Nik Mohamad defeated BN’s Tuan Mustaffa Tuan Mat by 1,888 votes.

But Kamarudin remains unfazed by the stiff competition or the fact that he lost in Pasir Puteh in1990 and 1999. This time, as a local, he thinks he will have an edge over the competition.

“I am the only one who is from Pasir Puteh, whereas the other two candidates from PAS and BN are outsiders,” he said.

Nik Zawawi is from Besut in neighbouring Terengganu while Ashraf is from Tumpat, Kelantan.

Kamarudin said Bersatu has identified the candidates to be fielded for some 40% of the 52 parliamentary seats it will compete under Pakatan Harapan in GE14.

As many as 50% of Bersatu’s candidates will be former Umno leaders such as himself, he said.

Kamarudin, who was formerly vice-president of Angkatan Belia Islam Malaysia (Abim), joined Umno in 1986, following in the footsteps of his good friend and former deputy prime minister Anwar Ibrahim.

Before stepping down from politics in 2008, Kamarudin was considered an  influential Umno leader in Pasir Puteh, having  led the division there for 15 years.

While he managed to win the state seat of Semerak, he failed in both efforts to win the Pasir Puteh parliamentary seat in the 1990 and 1999 general elections.

Seen as one of the few Umno leaders with a strong, religious grounding, observers believe Kamarudin will stand a strong chance at challenging the PAS candidate.

Mohamad Zainal Abidin Hussin, a former researcher with the state-run research house Pusat Kajian Strategik (PKS), said Kamarudin is well liked by those in his state constituency.

His likeability and solid religious background make him a strong candidate in the next elections, said Zainal. – February 15, 2018.