April 24, 2012
Battle for hearts of Kedahans
By Joceline Tan (04-22-12) @www.thestar.com.my
From afar, Kedah looks similar to it is ready to tumble yet upon a ground, a conflict lines have been utterly confused as well as a small town culture deters politicians upon either side from being as aggressive as their counterparts elsewhere.
IT was utterly bizarre saying Tan Sri Kadir Sheikh Fadzir, or Mr Bow Tie as he is known, upon a dimly-lit stage surrounded by PAS leaders in a tiny village nearby Baling.
The customarily debonair politician had ready to go down for a occasion, wearing a white baju Melayu teamed with a brown as well as yellow sampin. Kadir, or "Kadiak" as he is well known in a Kedah Malay dialect, had give up UMNO in a pant final month as well as this was his lass coming upon a PAS platform to a single side PAS President Datuk Seri Hadi Awang as well as Kedah Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Azizan Abdul Razak.
Politics in a code brand brand new domestic landscape has mostly resembled TV being shows dramatic, utterly ludicrous yet oh so entertaining as well as a Kadir episode is Kedah's latest being show.
PAS ceramah draw a biggest crowds when something code brand brand new happens, as well as which evening a "new thing" was Kadir articulate about since he deserted UMNO. Kadir's exit could not have happened during a improved time for PAS in Kedah as well as it is planning to r! ide upon him,
This, notwithstanding a actuality which PAS leaders have, for years, portrayed Kadir's "istana" or residence in Baling as an e.g. of UMNO's excess. His residence does resemble a palace. It is an blow up pink, white as well as bullion monument built upon an elevated piece of land as well as has a regal driveway, gazebos as well as ponds in a massive grounds.
The many unsettling thing about a "istana" is which it is standing upon what was once a poorest district in Kedah. But it looks similar to PAS leaders have been rebuilt to forget all a things they pronounced about Kadir right away which he is upon their side.
Kedah is a shakiest of a Pakatan Rakyat states as well as PAS politicians have been praying which Kadir will assistance them in Baling, if not a total State. At 73, a decorated ex-UMNO minister is past his budding yet is a important name in these parts.
"My worry is which what he says will cast doubts in people's minds," pronounced his younger brother, UMNO politician Datuk Aziz.
Aziz, who had cried, holding upon to his brother's knees begging him not to desert UMNO, is deeply disappointed about what has happened. But blood is thicker than H2O as well as Aziz is demure to contend anything bad about Kadir. However, if PAS fields Kadir as a candidate, hermit may have to fight hermit in a name of politics.
From afar, Kedah looks similar to it is about to tumble but, upon a ground, a conflict lines have been utterly blurred. People here speak about governing body yet not in a spooky approach of Klang Valley folks as well as definitely minus all a vitriol as well as hatred found upon a Internet.
Kedah governing body is not as ugly or confrontational as which in Penang or Perak namely since a secular element is not as stark.DAP has a limited presence here as well as a solitary representative does not have a good working attribute with a Government.
PKR is hobbled by poor quality assemblymen, some of whom cannot spea! k Bahasa Malaysia. One of them is reportedly a medium who goes in to trances. He was allocated a State exco part of prior to a pressure to perform caused him to quit.
Kedah still has which parochial culture where everyone seems to know everybody. As a result, they have been utterly demure to contend bad things about any other. It certainly makes for a some-more civil spin of politics.
On a defensive
Quite a bit of it additionally has to do with a Mentri Besar's personality. Azizan is an Alpha masculine with an ego yet he is not a sparse politician. He is rarely educated distinct many of a alternative ulama in PAS and, as a true-blue Kedah man, he has an insinuate feel of a ground.
Unlike his counterpart in Penang, he does not spend his days as well as nights attacking UMNO as well as blaming it for everything; likewise, UMNO does not attack him unnecessarily.But have no mistake, both sides have been adamant about combining a subsequent State Government.
The final couple of years have found a Pakatan Government upon a defensive as they struggled with a final of governing a State whose proletariat is still contingent upon a Government's largesse. Its unawareness was all as well evident during a 2010 floods, as well as infighting in PAS over a final a single year has influenced a administration's image as well as may jeopardise a celebration machinery.
State UMNO arch Dato' Ahmad Bashah Md Hanipah catapulted in to a open eye during
a big floods when he swung in to action, setting up depletion centres as well as organising assist to those affected.
Bashah is a representative for Bakar Bata, a state chair in a urban Alor Setar parliamentary constituency. The aged UMNO building located during a busiest intersection in Alor Setar has h! uge, bil lboard-sized cinema of him in movement during a floods. His supporters longed for to put up billboards of such cinema in alternative tools of a collateral yet could not get a assent from a internal authority.
Most accounts place Bashah as a Mentri Besar-in-waiting, an thought which he tries to downplay yet you could discuss it which he favourite a receptive to advice of it since his face immediately pennyless out in to a sweetest of smiles.
But he said: "My job is to win during a behind of Kedah. The MB's post, which you leave to a Prime Minister as well as God."
Bashah looks similar to a fierce bulldog in photographs yet in person he smiles easily as well as is a arrange of Malay politician who calls everyone a crony even yet he may have met you usually half an hour earlier.
Malays have up 75% of a race in Kedah, as well as UMNO is assured which a 5% Malay opinion swing during a behind of to UMNO will play out in Kedah some-more clearly than in alternative west seashore States.
One of a reasons since a State fell was since Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad was afterwards waging fight opposite Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi. Kedah's many important adult has since thrown his await during a behind of Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak. His renewed presence in Kedah has additionally sparked speak which his son, Jerlun MP Datuk Mukhriz Mahathir, is additionally in a running for a Mentri Besar post.
Another important Kedahan, Tun Daim Zainuddin, has additionally warmed up to UMNO following some soured years during a Abdullah Badawi regime. The rather reserved Daim has since strategic interviews to a Chinese vernacular writings in a final couple of months; many consider he is perplexing to assistance alleviate a Chinese vote.
The views of these absolute men will not necessarily have people rush to embrace a Barisan yet their endorsement, as they contend in a advertising world, will assistance sell a Barisan brand. But Barisan's biggest code name is still Najib. He not long ago ! noted hi s third year as Prime Minister as well as has shown admirers as well as critics which he has what it takes for a job.
The Hokkien-speaking Chinese in Kedah mostly contend "Najib eh yong," definition which Najib is capable.The Chinese view in Kedah does not crop up as hell-bent upon punishing UMNO as their counterparts elsewhere.
According to Kedah Chinese Assembly Hall cabinet member Dato' Tan Son Lee, a Chinese vital in a southern end similar to Kulim as well as Sungai Petani lend towards to brand with what is going upon in Penang. They lend towards to spend their weekends as well as holidays in Penang as well as a sizeable series do blurb operation or work there. They brand so many with Penang which when they go to Alor Setar, they essentially say, "ki Ketah" which means "go to Kedah" in Hokkien.
Although a Chinese have been in all not in to a governing body of PAS, they do not have vital issues with Azizan.
"He is utterly easy to deal with. But a people around him do not have a same thinking," pronounced Tan. Many Chinese businessmen, especially developers in a Alor Setar area, consider a PAS-led government is not blurb operation friendly. The State Government has been demure to convert agricultural land for growth as well as speak is which PAS is personification geo-politics; it is worried which a loss of agricultural wake up will change a voter profile.
"Alor Setar does not have industries as well as housing growth is a vital activity. The projects going upon have been those authorized prior to 2008 as well as a slowdown has influenced downline activities," pronounced Bakar Arang representative Dr Cheah Soon Hai.
Businesses affected
Doing blurb operation underneath a Barisan was tough yet they were anticipating out how many tougher it was underneath Pakatan.
In contrast, Sungai Petani is bustling with development. One knows which a single is nearby Sungai Petani when billboards of housing ! as well as blurb schemes begin to appear.
What a Chinese blurb operation village is many worried about is PAS' tendency to insert religious foundations to policies. For example, a latest statute forbidding any plea to a state's fatwa pronouncements.
Ironically, Azizan, notwithstanding his unsatisfactory illness as well as having to deflect off enemies from within, is his party's arch asset. His dignified high belligerent stems from a perception which he has not used his position to heighten himself.
He has dual wives as well as his initial wife's residence is a nondescript section as well as wooden structure with bark paint. He has 8 children from a initial family, all graduates as well as none, he emphasised, is involved in any of a State GLCs.
His second wife's residence is a arrange of apparatus to his use centre in his Sungai Limau constituency. She is a teacher, as well as upon a day of this interview, their daughter, a youngest of their 6 children, returned from propagandize roving pillion upon a relative's motorcycle.
Azizan is additionally unapologetic about his regard for Dr Mahathir or even Daim."People contend I am tighten to Tun Mahathir, they have been not happy. But he is a statesman, I wish to learn from him. If not for Tun Mahathir, there would be no Universiti Utara Malaysia or Langkawi. He is a father of Langkawi's growth as well as I am co-chairman of Lada," pronounced Azizan.
His pet project, a Insaniah Kolej Universiti, is coming up beautifully in Kuala Ketil even yet a issue over a suspension of several of a students earlier this year was damaging.
He insisted which he had no hard feelings opposite a dual exco members, Datuk Phahrolrazi Zawawi as well as Dr Ismail Salleh, who attempted to topple him, describing it as a "family misunderstanding".! But whe n a State Assembly sat upon Monday, Phahrolrazi, who used to be seated subsequent to a Mentri Besar, had been changed a single chair down while a subsequent comparison figure, Datuk Taulan Mat Rasul, was changed up.
His rival who used to be second-in-line is right away third-in-line. Azizan might crop up feeble as well as laidback to a infrequent observer yet he is utterly a domestic animal as well as should not be underestimated. He intends to defend his chair in a choosing and, if his illness permits as well as a celebration agrees, to go upon as Mentri Besar.
Kedah is still awash with celebratory signs of their sovereign's ascent as a King. Everywhere a single turns, there have been signboards as well as banners proclaiming "Daulat Tuanku" as well as "Daulat Tahniah" to a Royal couple. He is a popular sovereign as well as Kedahans have been proud about their Sultan's second spin upon a throne.
PAS, upon a alternative hand, is asking for a second term. They have been telling Kedahans which Barisan has enjoyed 50 years in power as well as which they should be since an additional 5 years.
"The 2008 choosing was a lesson for all of us. The subsequent choosing is not about 5 years or 50 years yet people can right away compare who is improved during portion them," pronounced Bashah. The conflict for a hearts as well as minds of Kedah people has started.
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