AFTER more than 30 years in Kelantan, PAS is no longer unassailable. The people are frustrated and want a change of government.

Administrative failure, water supply problems and lavish government spending are some of the issues feeding public resentment.

Residents interviewed by The Malaysian Insight said the current administration cannot compare to that of former menteri besar Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat, who was revered by the people of the state.

Trader Ibrahim Mohd Nor, 32, said he voted for PAS twice but now wants a change.

“I think it is enough. This time I want to give Umno Barisan Nasional a chance.”

“The Kelantan government has to change, there has to be a change so that the welfare of the people is protected.”

“I am not the only one feeling this way. Everyone says the same thing. They are disappointed in the current PAS administration, which is not the same as that of the late tok guru (Nik Aziz)

“The welfare of the people is ignored but they can buy Mercedes-Benz for the assemblymen. If Nik Aziz was still around, I’m sure this won’t happen,” Ibrahim said.

The Kelantan government last year spent RM3.5 million on Mercedes-Benz cars for the official use of state leaders.

Ibrahim said water supply is often cut off in the market.

“It’s strange that when election time nears, there is water,” he said.

Not afraid of change

Another trader Faqih Rosmadi, 28, said the majority of traders in the market will reject PAS in the general election.

“I used to vote for PAS but now I want to change because I am very disappointed with PAS,” he said.

“What have they done to help us?”

Pleas from traders to upgrade the market and add more parking spaces were ignored by the local council, he said.

Faqih’s friend, Sayuti, said the people are not afraid to switch to Barisan Nasional.

“The time has come for us to teach PAS a lesson. They have grown too comfortable because they have been in power for too long.”

PAS has ruled Kelantan since the 1990 general election.

The party almost lost the state to Umno in the 2004 election, when it won only 24 of the state’s 45 seats. PAS rallied in 2008, however, to sweep 39 seats.

In 2013, Pakatan Rakyat helped PAS to win a two-thirds majority in the Kelantan assembly.

In 2018, PAS once again maintained its dominance, winning nine seats in parliament and 37 seats in the state assembly.

Resident Ibrahim Harun, 52, said he would no longer vote for PAS after his land in Kota Baru was seized by the government for the purpose of building a plant.

Ibrahim said as a former PAS branch leader, he did not expect to be betrayed by his own party.

“I will never vote for PAS again. This time I will vote for Pakatan Harapan even if the candidate is DAP,” he said.

“I don’t even care if the candidate is Chinese because our own Muslim representative and government persecutes us,” he said

Grocer Asiah Che Mat, 55 who lives in Rantau Panjang, would still vote for PAS because she is used to it.

But that does not mean that she is happy with the party’s performance. She said the government has yet to implement hudud as promised.

“I vote for PAS because I don’t know how to vote for another party. But it’s true that youngsters want to support BN this time, they are angry because the state government is not helping the people much,” she said.

Ilham Center Hisomuddin Bakar said a survey showed that the people of Kelantan have rejected PAS.

“It can be said that all the problems involve land issues,” he said.

Kelantan has two blocs of voters, those who live in the state and those who live and work outside the state, and this has to be taken into account, he said.

He said those who do not live in Kelantan voted for PAS in 2018 because they did not like BN, who was tainted with corruption.

But it is different for those who live in the state, he said.

He said another factor for the people’s rejection of PAS is because the party ministers have failed to help the people.

“Voters in Kelantan vote tactically. They will give the state seats to PAS and the parliament seats to Umno.

“We saw that in Tanah Merah and Jeli. The voting pattern of the people of Kelantan are like Chinese voters”. – October 29, 2022.