7/2/13 PRU13-TAKE THE LEOPARDS OR HIENNAs.....

My direct involvement in politic was when I was a student at UKM in 1982 (?) at time when there was a by election in DUN Kuala Trengganu. Muda Mamat was the UMNO candidate. He was one of the former students' leaders of UKM. It was at time when Wan Mokthar Ahmad (?) as the MB. Abdul Rahman Bakar (now Senator and Deputy Minister) was our students champion in those time. Being a Sarawakian, and due to my fluency in Kelantanese dialect, as well as picking up fast in Trengganu, Abdul Rahman or rather UMNO took advantage of my active and high interest in politic. I joint a group of campaigners and among them were Ustaz Daud whom was very eloquent in his deliberation on whatever cue I made. Accordingly Jamali Sadat was a great political entertainer that pool the crowd to the night campaign scenes. We move from village to village for almost 14 days. Hadi Awang, the present PAS President was in his up rising popularity. In deed the By Election was a moment of U-turn in Trengganu politic thereon, where PAS continue to gain great momentum. My observation, all but because Wan Mokthar keep going on with his complacent Old Guard in Kemajuang Insang Kemajuang Insang Gelombang Satu Gelombang Dua Gelombang Tiga (now probably change to Blue Oceang Blue Oceang) yet those settlements nearby the Primula Hotel never improve to better, dok kabor pembangungnang. That was the moment I later made good contact with Aziz Shamsuddin, Mahathir's Chief PolSect whom enable me later to get a slot to see Mahathir to voice my dissatisfaction over the numbers of Sarawakian in the local universities. Surely, my argument with the then PM was after good consultation with both Sulaiman Daud and Bujang Ulis whom were both the Minister and Deputy Minister of Education.

(2)Then in 1983/4 just few months before my graduation, I joint a group of UKM students to help Rais Yatim who at that time if not mistaken was the Minister in charge of the Ministry of Rural and Regional Development to talk about oil palm development in the rural areas using the FELCRA in situ development concept. I participated in the area represented by Khalid Yunus, of Jempol. Our effort bear fruit and to this day, Khalid Yunus has no problem to win the area. I do revisit all those Kampungs and feel very happy to see all those idle land are now planted with oil palm.

(3) When I came back to my Kampung in July 1984, I didn't bother to get a job as immediately as most wish. I just want to try my luck to be an entrepreneur which when I went over to see the Manager of BPM in Kuching then, I was put bluntly as an impractical and too ambitious young raw graduate. But I stay on to hang around in my Kampung organizing things that my village had missed since independent. Luckily, Bujang Ulis whom I was closed with when I was the students' leader in UKM, was our Parliamentary representative as well as the Deputy Minister in the Primary Industy (now MoPI). I managerd to secure good funds for the various projects in my kampung then. In the 1986 Parliamentary Election I put my full support to Bujang Ulis as the incumbent for Simunjan (now Batang Sadaong) who was challenged by Wan Habib. In fact it is a clash of a Titan since Bujang Ulis was lack of fund (by virtue of his socio-economic position) as compared to Wan Habib whose money seem to flow like the Batang Sadong river. Of course Bujang Ulis has the advantage being the Ruling Government candidate, where even Mahathir came down to help by declaring the connection of Simunjan-Punda road which doesn't last for more than six months.

(4) As a civil servant, my real direct obviuos involvement making the ruling Government candidates to win was when I served as the Resident of Bintulu in 1999-2001. At the Parliament level, DAP controlled Bintulu, the only in the State. It was a challenge for me to make the people to throw their love to BN. What I did was, within my authority, I began to collect and analyse the root problems of the people hatred to the BN. In deed, nothing but very basic: housing, rising cost of living, education, roads, security, pollution, and to certain extend the lethargic government machineries. With all the first hand statistic in my hand, I began to write to all the relevant agencies even to the Ministries and Economic Planning Unit, of the PM Department in Kuala Lumpur to make them realise with the problem of the people. Even in an Open Dialoque with Mahathir in Kuching just close to the election (?), I said to my peak (in Kedah dialect): "With all the realistic problems of the people, yet we make less effort to resolve them, but here am I and all these government machineries to defense the Government of our good governance, so how much more do we need not to tell the people the truth? Jalan kat Bintulu, orang mai dari Jepun, Korea, Iran dsb tengok, lebih bagus jalan kat Kodiang. Macam mana rakyat tak marah, mengaji dok berasak kat kantin. Kelas tak cukup. Rumah tak dak. Orang nak sewa, bukan setakat mahal, tak ada!". Nonetheless, still with high hope, for Mahathir to take it up seriously, I then embarked on be with the people pushing my way to drag the civil servants to be as close as possible with the rakyat. I just want to put hope into their hearts. To me every day and every moment of time are just the same, no such thing as night or day, working days or weekends. The government presence must be felt by the people. In Bintulu at such time, there were so much issues to be handle, both in the rural and urban places. I was fortunate, the BN candidate for the area ie Tiong King Sing, was a very energetic and out going non-protocol person. So it match with my style. On the polling day, I made my rounding and chat with some voters, when the vote were counted, I didn't bother to hang around but took my early long night nice sleep. In the morning when I woke up, Tiong scored 2,000 votes over Chiew, the incumbent from DAP. His result was the last to be announced. But in the State election in 2001, the 'nice slow' Mr. Sim was thrown out and Chiew whom was defeated at the Parliamentary was marched to the State DUN. In deed, thereon there was a leadership crisis in Bintulu SUPP which spread now to the whole State.

(5) Those probably are my little direct battles in helping to put the Governing Government to it position, and I do hope someone in PM and CM Office will take some cue out of these, and I pray for the best stability and harmony in the State and Nation for us to move on better.

(6) Looking back to those days, I realized those politicians struggled was about bringing good economic wellbeing to their constituents. Be it in Trengganu, Negeri Sembilan or Sarawak, all worked hard to bring the best to the people: road, electricity, water supplies, education, health services and income generating activities. There were no talk about freedom of speech, freedom of practices, etc. The most significant attitude among those politician they were really down to earth. I would say, the culture of Abdul Razak Husein if not Umar Al Khataab were really their blood and sweat. Though nothing much could be done at time (1980s) when the Nation was still struggling hard to prosper, but the people were matured enough to see that their representative are working hard enough to give them hope. In those days, I also could see, the civil servants were all out to really serve the people. Government's machineries were all working well not at time of the election but all through.

(7) In this PRU13, I would believe Najib-Muhyiddin, are sleepless to get to the best winnable candidates for UMNO and BN. I would believe there are still old guard characters just like those of Wan Mokthar of Trengganu or Muhammad Yacoob of Kelantan, sustaining to yesterday realities not today still love to hang around just to warm the seats. There are also a bunch of Young Turks, remnants of Abdullah Badawi's regime who are still there just to fulfill their personal desire rather serving the Nation. In deed when we follow closely the Parliamentary debates, these people should just be qualified to be fish mongers by the road side rather policies makers or development champions. I don't quiet see those characters, except a few. In today Najib-Muhyiddin's team, there are too much people who are just 'syok' shouting to the dance of the Opposition but less who really be with the people and the Government's machineries to work for the Nation. Worst I would say, there are none whom are smart enough to analyze on matter of International Politic, Economic, Trade, and Security. We are in deed nurturing the politic of Katak Di Bawah tempurung as our new Political Paradigm. It is lucky that PKR and PAS were having problem with people such as Hassan Ali and Nasharuddin. I do believe, if PKR had kept Hassan Ali and tip him to be the next MB of Selangor, I could see, Selangor will remain to be a very strong hold of PKR-PAS. Accordingly, if Nasharuddin being tip off to be the next MB of Kedah, I do believe, PAS will make Kedah as their next home ground. Similarly, I would say if Mat Sabu (Mahathir good buddy) be tip off to be the MB of Perlis, sure something interesting will happen to Sahidan Kassim.

(8) Nonetheless if Najib-Muhyiddin are smart enough, he should have time to look at the list of those who won the PRU123 uncontested, whom among them were: Datuk Seri Azalina Othman (Pengerang), Datuk Abdul Ghapur Salleh (Kalabakan), Tan Sri Joseph Kurup (Pensiangan), Aaron Ago Dagang (Kanowit), Joseph Entulu Belaun (Selangau), Alexander Nanta Linggi (Kapit), Norah Tun Abdul Rahman (Tanjong Manis), Datuk Ramlee Marahaban (Bugaya), Datuk Abdul Rahman Palil (Sementa), and Wan Ubaidah Omar (Kijang). For Sarawak and Sabah, the matter is very basic. Who can deliver basic needs and had been seen working hard for it. Taking Norah Abdul Rahman as a case, Bruit her area, it is among the most poorest and hard live place in Sarawak (as bad as Pulau BGangi in Sabah or once Tioman). Isolated. Basically nothing were there. No road. No electricity. No water supply. Name it. As if Bruit is a region in Laos if not Somalia. Norah, being the daughter of Tun Abdul Rahman, and Taib dare enough to push aside the incumbent not only at the Parliament but as well as in the DUN, the people there threw their weight to BN. The same with Alexandar Linggi. Nice hard working and seen sincere person. But most relevant to Najib-Muhyiddin and UMNO is to look at Azalina Othman. I would believe this lady could be another Rafidah Aziz, except she is much more too aggressive. But with time, she will matured. Probably, due to her legal back ground thus she has no fear no favour and sure those great PHD holders in UMNO would love not to have the Malay Best to hold good office, thus made her the lamb for korban to be silent and kill but the people knew her better and thus make her won uncontested. May be, I hope my speculation is correct. Najib-Muhyiddin should re-look at her and her-alike and let Sharizat to rest in peace.

(9) PRU13, people are looking for hope. People want those who really working hard to deliver those hopes. I could see, Najib-Muhyiddin purposely keep mum over the BN ptential candidates fore strategic p[olitical reasons, but with one great disadvantage to Malaysians for not having enough time to assess how best they are. If PAS-PKR-DAP are smart, they should push their potential ,candidates for advance market selling. Najib-Muhyiddin, they love to dance to the Opposition thus, let them be caught dancing to the wrong rhythm and grounds. But may be soon Malaysians have no choice but to pick the leopards among the ever hungry big cats. May Allah, protect us from sliding into the deep cliff. May He blessed Najib-Muhyiddin with a lion heart to be brave to protect the Nation from all form of dark paths. InsyaAllah.

Kuching, Sarawak
28 Feb., 2013