CARETAKER Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob has sent his elder brother, Kamarazaman to ensure his right-hand man Mahdzir Khalid not only keeps the Padang Terap parliamentary seat but does it in style.

Parti Kuasa Rakyat president Kamarazaman is a constant presence in Mahdzir’s entourage at walkabouts and ceramah in Kedah.

The majority of voters in the constituency, about 10km from Pekan Kuala Nerang, are farmers and rubber tappers.

Kamarazaman is not coy about his mission, telling BN workers he was assigned to assist Mahdzir, whom the locals call Tok Dat.

“My younger brother is sure that Tok Dat will win but still he asked me to come to explain that he wants the voters of Padang Terap to give him a bigger victory than what he got in the general election.”

In 2018, incumbent Mahdzir won a three-way fight for the seat with a majority of 1,099 votes.

Describing Mahdzir as one of his brother’s favourite people, Kamarazaman Ismail believes in Tok Dat as he is a “trusted person” – a message he repeatedly drums into party workers at meetings.

“If this is a prominent figure and a trusted person of the prime minister, it is our responsibility to spread the message to our family and the people of Padang Terap that we need to get him elected.

“Tell your friends in PAS and the fence-sitters that Tok Dat is the jewel of Kedah and as long as Ismail Sabri is prime minister, Tok Dat is a Kedah figure who will rise with him,” he told a recent gathering in Tong Pelu, one of 32 polling districts in the Padang Terap constituency.

Mahdzir is up against Pakatan Harapan’s Muaz Abdullah, Perikatan Nasional’s Nurul Amin Hamid and Pejuang’s Razali Lebai Salleh.

Like Ismail, Mahdzir is also a vice-president of Umno and not among the party leaders considered friendly with party president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi.

Mahdzir is among the cabinet members who survived the Umno president’s cull of those opposed to his leadership.

Umno members perceived to be pro-Ismail, such as Annuar Musa, Noh Omar, Zahidi Zainul Abidin, and Shahidan Kassim were dropped from the election campaign.

This led many of them to switch their allegiance to rival PN. These include Zahidi and Shahidan, who are standing on the PN ticket in Perlis.

Mahdzir on his campaign rounds has refrained from commenting on his friends who were dropped but drove home the message that PAS was a “fading influence” in PN.

PAS won Padang Terap in 1999 and 2008 but with slim majorities.

In 2022, the PAS flag would not be flying, said Mahdzir.

He told them this was because PAS would be contesting under the PN banner.

PN is an alliance of Bersatu, Gerakan, Sabah parties SAPP and Star, and PAS.

“PAS is not contesting. The moon is not rising so just place your X next to the kati,” he said, referring to the BN scales symbol, at a ceremah on Wednesday.

Mahdzir also told the crowd that Ismail will be prime minister again if BN wins the election.

BN campaign workers are upbeat about Mahdzir prospects

A Wanita Umno member, who wished to be known as Mak Ngah, said confidence is high.

She said in past elections, the party had to coax young people into helping with the campaign, but now the youth are asking to help.

“It seems there is a change now,” she said.

Tong Pelu Wanita Umno branch chief Hamidah Mohamad is unsure of how the young people will vote.

“They have come to help us and many think they are our supporters. But we cannot read their minds. However, if they are influenced by their parents, we know they will certainly vote for BN.”

Businessman Md Lehan at the ceramah said he had yet to decide who to vote for. Lehan also questioned what Mahdzir had done for Padang Terap.

Mahdzir is a former menteri mesar and has held many portfolios in the cabinet.

“But are there any developments in Padang Terap? It doesn’t look like there is any. The town is like a cowboy town,” Lehan said. – November 12, 2022.