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Wednesday, January 7, 2015

Will floods change Kelantan political landscape?



COMMENT: I will surely be getting a lot of flak from hardcore PAS supporters for saying this, but I genuinely believe Malay party Umno now has a good chance of recapturing Kelantan provided party president and Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak can come up with a comprehensive programme to rebuild flood-ravaged areas in the east coast state.

For the past 24 years, Kelantanese have voted Islamist PAS into power solely due to the charm of iconic former Menteri Besar Datuk Nik Abdul Aziz Nin Mat. However, upon relinquishing the post on April 3, 2013, Nik Aziz has been replaced Datuk Ahmad Yakob.

Ahmad Yakob, 64, graduated from the famed Al Azhar University in Cairo with a Bachelor’s degree in Islamic Law and later was conferred a Diploma in Education from Ain Shams University.

Although possessing religious credentials comparable to Tok Guru Nik Aziz, the Pasir Pekan assemblyman together with his Deputy Datuk Mohamad Amar Nik Abdullah are not as revered as the octogenarian cleric.

In addition, former exco member Datuk Husam Musa was dropped from state administration although he is regarded as a technocrat in PAS.

Hence, the hudud law has been Ahmad Yakob’s (and Nik Amar's) trump card to instil confidence amongst their supporters, and it is seen as a fitting tribute to Nik Aziz’s struggle for political Islam in the state.

Nevertheless, the floods which hit Kelantan in the past weeks, particularly in Kota Baru with the most number of evacuees, followed by Pasir Mas, Kuala Krai, Tumpat and Gua Musang, have put things into different perspective.

As the waters subside, victims are slowly returning to salvage what is left in their uninhabitable homes, now covered with filth and wet mud. As sense of helplessness and desolation crept in, they need assurance that life can go back to normalcy as quickly as possible.

Najib visited the districts of Kuala Krai dan Gua Musang on Dec 30 to assess the damage and determine the form of assistance to be provided.

Speaking to reporters in Perak a day earlier, Bernama quoted Najib as saying, “I have seen pictures of houses that have been completely destroyed; some are left with just wooden planks.

“This means the occupants are going to face a bleak future unless they receive government assistance.”

Although he need not declare a state of emergency, several commentators believe Najib can announce other special measures to aid victims as well as mitigate the threat of flooding in the Malay heartland.

Political analyst Mohd Sayuti Othman opined Najib should announce Kuala Krai and Gua Musang as ‘special districts’ where funds can be channeled toward rebuilding the livelihood of those affected by the disaster.

Such as announcement, Sayuti said, will surely boost their morale.

Upon his return from a private trip to Hawaii, Najib announced a special aid of RM500 million for victims in the states affected by the floods.

However, he said the fund did not include allocations to be specified later to repair damages to educational institutions, government buildings, mosques and other infrastructures.

Najib also said the funds would be disbursed by the National Security Council (MKN) after the conclusion of the disaster.

Salor assemblyman Husam however stressed that such an announcement was unimportant if the assistance does not reach the intended targets.

In addition, according to Husam, the federal government must also look at providing help in the form of school uniforms as well as reparations to homes and vehicles.

“Is there aid for damaged houses and vehicles?” he asked while distributing food in kampung Kadok, Pasir Mas.

Husam also pointed out that disaster management system in the country needed a relook to ensure effectiveness of assets deployment, communication service and emergency notification systems.

The onus is now on Najib to instil confidence among Kelantanese to get back on their feet again. After being tested by a tragedy of unprecedented enormity, the battle in the Malay heartland now seems centred on rebuilding lives of the flood victims.

If Najib and Umno Kelantan leaders such as Jeli MP Datuk Mustapa Mohamad and Ketereh MP Tan Sri Annuar Musa can swing into action, the floods may well see the political landscape in Kelantan shifting to their advantage.

Multimedia and Communication Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Shabery Cheek (second, left) listens to a briefing by Public Works Dept engineer Ir. Hasmi Ahmad (right) during a visit on Jan 4 to the temporary site for the Acrow700xs bridge at KM9, Jalan Air Putih-Chukai at Bukit Machang Setahun in Kemaman, after the road was badly damaged by the flood
by Lokman Mustafa -theantdaily

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