Nik Omar's decision a shock for many
KOTA BHARU, April 28 (Bernama) -- The presence of Nik Omar Nik Abdul Aziz, the second son of the late PAS spiritual leader e Datuk Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat at the nomination centre at the Kelantan Educational Technology Division here this morning was a shock for many following his decision to contest on a PKR-Amanah ticket for the Chempaka state seat.
His act was deemed as going against the stand of his family who had been firmly behind PAS all along.
The former Madrasah Darul Anuar principal is involved in a three-cornered fight with Mohamed Fareez Noor Amran of Barisan Nasional (BN) and PAS candidate Ahmad Fathan Mahmood @ Mahamad.
The Chempaka state seat is a PAS stronghold and was won by Nik Abdul Aziz with a majority of 6,500 votes in the 13th General Election (GE13) in 2013.
Prior to this, Parti Amanah Negara (Amanah) had announced Nik Omar as Pakatan Harapan's choice for the Kelantan Menteri Besar post should the opposition pact win in the GE14.
"I am contesting in the Chempaka state seat in GE14 because I have always followed my father to (visit) the constituency since I was a little boy, and I was called to continue my father's legacy to serve the constituents,? said Nik Omar.
He also believed that a democratic country would allow the people to choose the candidate or party whom they like in the general election.
Such a development is deemed to add insult to injury to PAS as it had declared its splinter party Amanah, its enemy.
Meanwhile, BN fielded 30 new faces and veteran leaders in GE14 in an attempt to wrest Kelantan from PAS' grip.
State BN chairman Datuk Seri Mustapa Mohamad, otherwise known as Tok Pa, will be heading the coalition in Kelantan to take up the challenge by defending the Jeli parliamentary seat and Air Lanas state seat which he won in GE13.
Joining him are UMNO Information Chief Tan Sri Annuar Musa who will defend the Ketereh parliamentary seat, Tanah Merah UMNO chief Datuk Seri Ikmal Hisham Abdul Aziz (Tanah Merah), Deputy Rural and Regional Development Minister Datuk Ahmad Jazlan Yaakub (Machang) and Gua Musang UMNO chief Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah (Gua Musang).
The experience of the five leaders especially political veteran Tengku Razaleigh, who has been Gua Musang Member of Parliament for over 40 years, would be the tonic for Kelantan BN to recapture the state which has been in PAS' hands since 1990.
With eight young candidates - including entrepreneur Fikhran Hamshi Mohamad Fatmi, 38, for the Kota Bharu parliamentary seat and Pasir Mas UMNO Youth chief Nor Azmawi Ab Rahman, 44, (Pasir Mas) ? and five female candidates in its list, the state BN is seen as committed in championing the plight of people from all walks of life.
The combination of Kelantan BN's GE14 candidates and manifesto, themed ?Together for Kelantan' which contains seven core thrusts and 60 pledgess, is deemed as capable of balancing spiritual and worldly needs if the people give their mandate for the coalition to re-administer the state.
The commitment is further reinforced with Kelantan BN's offering eight initiatives to be carried out within the first 100 days after being given the mandate to rule the state.
It involves reducing land premium, providing efficient and effective government services, create an accountability (hisbah) committee to monitor governance and identify improvements to be implemented, give discounts to assessment arrears, abolish site rental arrears and review local authority taxes.
-- BERNAMA
