BARISAN Nasional (BN) must offer workable solutions and promises to recapture Kelantan, said Ahmad Jazlan Yaakub.

And the offer must target Kelantan voters who live out of state, said the Umno state chief.

“Although we must make interesting offers to attract them, we must be careful to only promise what we can deliver,” said the Machang MP.

He said many voters have grown weary of PAS, who has ruled the state since 1990, and BN must take the opportunity to take back the state.

For example, BN could resolve the problem of clean water supply, said Jazlan.

“There’s no reason why the state cannot resolve this. Although other states also have water issues, they are not as bad as Kelantan’s”

In Kelantan it’s a common joke that the tap water is so brown it resembles “teh tarik”.

The Umno leader said Kelantan people have seen how nothing has changed after years of PAS government.

“It’s been three decades since PAS has governed the state but nothing has changed for the voters. I believe that voters are beginning to realise this too.”

Jazlan said BN aims to win 23 of the 45 state seats of Kelantan.

He said that PAS’ tactic of promising to introduce hudud in the state was no longer workable.

“This is just PAS rhetoric. Even though it is now in the federal government, it has done nothing to implement hudud. Even the Islamic affairs minister is from PAS but they have not done anything in parliament.

“Voters can see this and they will reject PAS,” he added.

After an absence of more than three decades, PAS returned to the federal government by partnering with Bersatu and Umno to topple Pakatan Harapan in 2020.

PAS secretary-general Takiyuddin Hassan was appointed law and parliament minister under the Muhyiddin Yassin administration. After Muyhiddin resigned, Takiyuddin was re-assigned the energy and natural resources portfolio.

PAS vice-president Idris Ahmad was appointed Islamic affairs minister in Ismail Sabri Yaakob’s cabinet.

Meanwhile, Umno veteran and Gua Musang MP Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah is reported to have started working with Amanah in Kelantan in the hopes of toppling the PAS state government.

Jazlan declined to comment on the development as it is not a party matter.

“That is his personal view and does not come from Umno headquarters. We have to hear what Tengku Razaleigh has to say first.

“Maybe it was just a meeting. We cannot rush into this,” said Jazlan at a gathering of Kelantan residents working in the Klang Valley, at the KL World Trade Centre.

Kelantan resident Mohd Nor Payzul Mohamed, who was at the event, said voters have realised that PAS cannot fulfil its promises despite having gained entry to Putrajaya.

“They are there but what can they do? They have been very quiet about hudud. Voters can see that PAS cannot hold positions 100%,” said the 39-year-old.

Nor Payzul is among the 200,000 Kelantan voters who work outside the state but returned to vote in 2018.

He said in the more than 30 years PAS has governed Kelantan, many of the people have had to find work in other states due to the lack of jobs at home.

“How long do we have to work in Kuala Lumpur?” he asked.

Another Kelantan resident Mohd Faros said BN could win back the state if it promised to resolve basic infrastructural issues such as water supply.

The 49-year-old salesman from Machang said PAS has shown that its cannot develop the state as well as BN.

“If BN can resolve our road and water problems, I believe BN will win 100%,” said Mohd Nor.

He also questioned PAS commitment to introducing hudud.

“Why is PAS not pushing the hudud agenda now that it is in power in Putrajaya? Has it grown too comfortable? We don’t know.” – May 23, 2022.