SAVE Kelantan is not a political movement to face the 15th general election (GE15), its chairman, Husam Musa, said.

He said it will act as a check-and-balance mechanism that focuses on exposing leakages and administrative weaknesses that affect the people’s well-being.

He said the most important thing for Save Kelantan is to give the state government a wake-up call so that it does not continue to resort to a denial syndrome.

“That is why our aim is not only to expose the government’s weaknesses but also to raise awareness among Kelantan people of its shortcomings,” Husam told The Malaysian Insight.

“Most importantly, we want to tell the leaders and civil servants that they should not slack in their job.

“For example, in Kuala Krai, the Save Kelantan bureau revealed the logging problem in the water catchment area and two weeks later, Kuala Krai MP Abdul Latiff Abdul Rahman checked out the area and issued a statement that led to a halt in logging activities.

“It means there is immediate action after our exposé.

“Our goal is, we want the government to be aware and the departments to take action.”

He said while Save Kelantan does not have a political agenda, making people aware of the state government’s weaknesses will help them make the right choice during elections.

“People have the right to teach the powers that be a lesson by not voting for them. But I’m not saying they need to change the government,” he said.

“When the party gets fewer votes, it will quickly reform the administration.”

Husam, however, said Save Kelantan wants to remain neutral if there is a change of government in Kelantan after GE15.

‘Follow the Save Kelantan charter’

Husam suggested that whoever rules Kelantan in the future, even if it is PAS, should follow the Save Kelantan charter.

“When they win, they have to implement what they promised in the Save Kelantan charter,” he said.

“If the new government decides to implement our charter, then we will monitor. If it does not agree, we will press it to do so, so that it does not repeat past mistakes.”

When asked why he did not use the Amanah platform to advocate change, Husam said it requires a broader perspective with a cross-party approach.

If done through Amanah, there will be various accusations and attacks, and his motive will be questioned, he said.

“A cross-party approach is more effective. If done under Amanah, people may not like it and say it is a party problem,” he said.

“They may say things like ‘this party is against my party’ or that ‘I like this party’ or ‘this party is profitable’.” – May 23, 2022.