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Thursday, 29-Jan-2004 11:16 AM When first prize is second best One-time Malaysian Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad had a long time ago given up on Kelantan. The Kelantanese are “hardcore” and very regionalistic. To a Kelantanese, he is Kelantanese first and Malaysian second. The Kelantanese attitude is almost like that of the East Malaysian – “Sabah for Sabahans”. The Terengganu people, however, are less predictable. Their loyalties could go either way. At times they seem to vote based on the party, then at times they support personalities. Even independent candidates are able to win in Terengganu if it is the “right” candidate. But then, the Chief Minister, Abdul Hadi Awang, as well as his Deputy, Mustapha Ali, though they can be considered as strong personalities, have been known to lose the election to relatively unknowns and first-timers. While we can safely predict what is going to happen in Kelantan come the next election in a couple of weeks or so, how do we forecast Terengganu? Even Umno, with all the resources at its disposal, is still groping in the dark when it comes to Terengganu. Umno thought it had its “secret weapon” when it withdrew the 5% oil royalty the state is entitled to soon after the 1999 General Election. It would squeeze Terengganu until the people became desperate enough to give the state back to the ruling party. Once the people realised that voting the opposition into office only means they would suffer a fate of no development, they would quickly hand the state back to the ruling party. How can the people survive with no development and no money in their pockets? Umno should have learnt from its past experience. It tried this in Kelantan but it backfired miserably. Instead of getting the people back with them, it just alienated its own Umno supporters and lost even more support. To start of with, Kelantan did not really have that much money anyway other than what the Federal government gave it by way of grants and loans. So, after the ruling party lost the state in 1990, the Federal government delayed the dishing out of these grants and loans or cut it down. Without this money, Kelantan would flounder and the people, sick of the stagnant economy, would kick the opposition out of office. But this did not happen. What happened was the opposition actually performed better in the elections after that. Then it did the same in Terengganu, but with a twist. Instead of giving the RM800 million a year to the state, it handed the money to the Umno “kingpins” who were then supposed to distribute it to the people “directly”, bypassing the state government. Schoolchildren received scholarships, bicycles and prizes if they performed well in their exams. The parents received welfare payouts and all sorts of “Christmas” presents. While no one can deny much money was spread out, what was pocketed is the bone of contention to the Terengganu people. The trustees of the money such as Idris Jusoh, Roslan Awang Chik, Nasir Ibrahim Fikri, and so on, siphoned out more money for themselves than what they distributed to the people. It was actually quite a good arrangement. These state Umno leaders had hundreds of millions at their disposal. The people were getting hard cash, which they never received before when the state was under the ruling party. The Umno leaders had at their disposal so much money they were laughing all the way to the bank. Why would they now want to give the state back to the ruling party? If they did, this beautiful arrangement would come to an end. The state Umno leaders as well as the voters both realise that there are more financial benefits with the state remaining under opposition control. If this present arrangement were to end, then the cash would dry up. No more will the money go into their pockets directly but it would shift to the state coffer. So development may slow down. So what? Personally they are all recipients of large amounts of cash. Umno had taught the Terengganu people a new “trick”. Keep the opposition in office and you get cash. Kick the opposition out and the money will stop. Which would you prefer? Umno realises it has made a grave mistake. It now threatens the Terengganu people that if the ruling party fails to win back the state the money will end anyway. This “Wang Ehsan” (goodwill money) would no longer be dished out. Will this threat work? Forget the voters -- ask the state Umno leaders. Would they want Umno to win the next election just to see the RM800 million a year shift to the state instead of remaining in their hands? It is a tough decision indeed.
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