“ Depa dok mengata kat orang kita” ( They has smeared our people ), the sentiment of state wide dissatisfaction has fueled the kampong folks to cast their votes towards the opposition. Those who still had strong faith in perjuangan UMNO, but saddened by actions of Pak Lah might just lock themselves inside home and wouldn’t care to vote.
The Kedahan majority of Malays has given opposition; particularly PAS the mandate. First in the state history since the first election were held in 1959. Never in a single term had PAS gotten any chance of being the state government; not until 8th March 2008 when Ustaz Azizan Abdul Razak were sworn in and given the letter of appointment as Kedah 9th MB.
I know it may sound a bit absurd and immature. That old doctor has retired politics, now venturing into some bread making business. But, he is still loved by most Kedahan, and Malaysians too. Even the PAS and other opposition leaders are giving him credits ( taking into consideration it could be a political public stunt ). The nation pretty much misses the days when political hiatus were just a mere hiccup in the daily runs of government administration. Dr. Mahathir quickly quell it then it’s back to normal business. The relevancy of Mahathir is still felt in Kedah, and the action of Pak Lah to virtually shut Mahathirs’ views from falling into public ears is very real. Mahathir absence from Persidangan Agung UMNO in previous years surely felt like not being invited to class/course reunions to me. Mahathir earlier proposed projects which perhaps paving solid groundwork for Pak Lah to gain more vote were being scrapped, instead being replaced with corridors which were nothing concrete but rhetoric promises ( except for WPI which objective can be clearly seen through Nusajaya ). Pak Lah elegant silent is also a sign of egoistic non-cooperation even though he had hours long of meeting with Tun. Pak Lahs whom regarded the inability to execute mega-projects during his tenure is due to huge spending during Mahathir minister ship is showing some sort of blame game. A legacy problem; to say in very discreet and cynical way.
These rhetoric corridors can be further questioned, worst; the falling of big northern states of Perak, Penang and Kedah further casts a limbo on the implementation of the ambitious NCER.
Surely, my earlier entry on this state being captured by the opposition ( PAS for Kedah ) has finally come to a fact. Not after 1am, the state tally sided on PAS side after neck-to-neck of catching up. Weirdly, I repeatedly asked my Kelantanese housemate of how living would be in a home state ruled by the Islamic PAS. Questions like can I wear my Bermuda pants? Can I bring along a chick in a vehicle? Can I swim along the beaches of Langkawi? Are the cinemas going to be closed down? No more karaoke? Would my hands be chopped if I was caught stealing? All these question which can be deemed as petty matters but regarded as main agenda of PAS in policing morals of people apart from enforcing their promise of negara kebajikan ( welfare state ). I have yet to see Kedah under PAS and was very excited to return there. Not like PAS is going to paint the air green, but due to their manifestos and exhaustive effort to capture this northern state, they now had a chance to realize those vividly pictured
What attracts me about PAS is their candidate which tends to be close with the constituents. They pray inside wooden kampong suraus and old mosques and listened to the same khutbahs which the commoners listened to. They ate in eateries which the constituents ate at. They bathe the water of which flowed by the same rivers that carried for the constituents. They don’t carry little notepads and lists down people concerns about the well being of their place but felt it inside their vein, seen it with their own eyes. Nonetheless, never goes to lavish trips to enjoy any European esplanade with their spoilt children taking pictures donning their overgrown Gucci/DKNY/Guess/D&G/Ray-ban shades and posting it on Facebook or any social utility websites. The image of ‘minority elite’ should be banished from UMNO, and should be declared cardinal sin for UMNO men to have this image. The humbleness is something which people really expect from an MP or Wakil Rakyat. The dedication makes people felt they are being given deeper attention rather than those who comes back to kampong months before elections.
No wonder, the votes of Malays has swayed towards the Islamic PAS. A chain-effect that I would expect is UMNO to work harder and does better than what the opposition yet to offer Kedah. Watch and learn, and UMNO shall gain the higher grounds. For party sake, the federal government cannot ‘systematically pressure’ PAS-led Kedah to weaken its governance delivery, an old dirty trick which can further tarnish BN image as people gets more matured and exposed nowadays. For the Indians, they might have their grudge against MIC for certain reason seriously needs major overhaul. The Chinese; they are flexible and strategic voters. They have this ‘independency’ towards any single political party and votes along the candidate line. Votes were only casts to those who could serve well; pure statesman.
The winning of Mukhriz Mahathir in Jerlun parliamentary seat perhaps can be translated as votes of sympathy and hope. Sympathy of what ruckus has been surrounding his dad as former premier and a dash of hopes in making the UMNO as relevant party to achieve its objective as Sang Saka Bangsa. Mahfuz Omar of Pokok Sena will be working in PAS central committee which hopefully could span his influence and do something that can develop Kedah. The United States Kent University Law graduate new Kedah MB, Ustaz Azizan might think wisely in implementing any Islamic laws which may prompt discomfort among non-Muslims. After all, the lack of 2/3 majority in the state seat limits the changes of state governance. The presence of PKR candidate offers a healthy mix. Major defeat would be the stuttering Zainuddin Maidin which contested in Sg. Petani parliamentary seat. I guess, he’s back to becoming Senator.
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