Two days in KT

MARCH 13 ― A quick trip back to Terengganu is always welcome, even if it’s for work. Kuala Terengganu was preparing for the prime minister’s visit. Barisan Nasional flags were everywhere we turned, and they’ll stay there until the general election.

My cab driver was the regular old pakcik, who drove as slowly as his age, and kept up a very speedy commentary on local politics. “You know, Terengganu has the best oil in the whole world! No other oil can beat it. But kita dok mampu nok beli minyok tu… it’s for export purposes.”

Of course the conversation veered to who would win. He echoed the sentiments of many: life would be the same. The poor would remain poor, and there were too many of them in the state. “But I have to say this. Oghang Umno ne, they’re quite active. Oghang Pah (PAS)… they’re quiet! And I’m with PAS!”

“Eh, why are you jotting down what I said? Are you a reporter? You better not write down my taxi number.”

***

I was in Terengganu to meet with the AJK of Umno branches. My instructions were to waltz into the office and meet with the head or representatives of Umno to see how they were campaigning for the upcoming elections.

A relative who helped me with the contacts shook her head. “You know Kak Dina. That Kalimah Allah issue drove many PAS members and non-partisan locals to join Umno. How can you say that Allah can be used by non-Muslims. Gila ke? Nak gadai bangsa satu, ni nak gadai ugama.”

I also met with a friend, who can be considered one of the local “hard guys.” Before, he was bald and smartly dressed. This time, he wore a woollen beanie, had grown his hair out and sported a faux leather jacket.

“Aren’t you hot?” I asked.

“No. I’m always cold. I think I have angin.”

He drove me around, and when I visited the Umno offices, he hid. He confessed to me later, he was with PKR.

“You’re with PKR?” This man hung out with ultras before. We’re talking Pekida.

“Yes.”

I tightened my scarf around my head. This was interesting to say the least.

We visited PKR’s office, which was housed in an old bungalow a few metres behind my late grandfather’s house. It was empty.

Most of the local members lived and worked in KL, he said. There was only him.

“Okay. So what do you want?”

“Perubahan.”

“Yes… but what kind of change? What exactly?”

He smiled. “Perubahan.”

This conversation was not going anywhere.

The common denominator that the two parties shared was that grassroots issues were neglected by the higher-ups of their parties. Nobody listened. It’s only during elections, by-elections, or when everything had happened that they would trumpet the causes. Story of our lives.

***

Terengganu does have her political personalities who may not be as prominent to the rest of those in Malaysia. One is YB Toh Chin Yaw, Terengganu State executive councillor, the straight talking, always in Kampung China MP.

He has his fair share of detractors for his “heritage conservation” work in Kampung China, but one cannot deny that he is passionate about Terengganu and his community.

Kampung China at one point looked tired. While heritage lovers have pointed out that the area was beginning to look more and more like the garish Jonker Street of Melaka, there is business, the shophouses are painted and clean, and the people living in the surroundings are happy.

Flanked by two of his friends, YB Toh is an example of the small town politician who is found everywhere in the country. He’s energetic and passionate about Terengganu. As he enjoyed his sumptuous breakfast (Terengganu breakfasts are huge. Maybe this is why we’re not so progressive. All that nasi dagang and laksam will induce a coma), locals came up to him, to say hello, to complain, to whisper something so secret that Toh had to tell them to speak out aloud.

Of course BN will win, he crowed. In Terengganu, they will win hands down. It’s the only party that had provided for the locals. “Things are moving,” he said, but the one issue that rankled him was “… kerja cari orang…”. It was difficult to get human resource to apply for work in the state. Would-be employees were fussy.

He admitted that politics in Terengganu was less race-based, which helped with community relations. “Our population is one-million-plus.” He has pushed for education, and students receive financial aid. Even before Federal began its programme, Terengganu had already brought in foreign teacher aides to teach English.

He groaned. There were so many campaigns going on and Malaysians were educated, but their ethical values were low. There were too many external influences impacting locals, “Malaysians are not mature.” For the people of Terengganu, it was about eking out a living. They were not that ambitious. But more needs to be done.

Terengganu is also not an obvious choice for foreign investment. Investors want dynamic places, and the state is laid-back. “An example is our villages. Not just out of town but in the town itself. They’re swampy, lack hygienic facilities… the houses are not meant for living beings! Mind you, those areas are not villages. They’re squatter homes.” Sooner or later, locals will have to change their lifestyle.

On the other extreme, we have politically active royals, who are with the opposition. The architect Datuk Raja Kamarul Bahrin Shah Raja Ahmad had just joined PAS when I arrived, and he had already started the ceramah tour around town. Hot topic: Kampung Ladang.

Kampung Ladang deserves a feature on its own. Locals are divided. As far as they are concerned, living in a shoebox flat is a step up the social ladder. They miss their former village, but the problems they had, and had to live with (sanitation, poverty, et al), were challenging.

They were bemused by the controversy. If the flats they live in are driving the opposition crazy, why didn’t they help them when they were living in the village? Kampung Ladang is a very touchy subject.

These sentiments were echoed by another royal. YAM Tengku Sri Paduka Raja Tengku Ibrahim Sultan Ismail Nasiruddin is known for his oppositionist ways; at one point, he was a member of Semangat 46, and is a staunch supporter of Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah.

The heat was clearly getting to Tengku Paduka, in spite of the interview being held in his palatial beachfront home. Terengganu sweltered and heaved. It’s like being in the Sahara with the sea next door.

But he was enthusiastic. He was an accidental politician, he explained. It was on a visit with a politician friend that he saw how people lived. He was shocked, that little had been done for the poor. “How can the Malays live like that? We’re supposed to be this… majority race, and we were living in horrible conditions. That’s how I got involved. I wanted to help.”

It’s not just Kampung Ladang that had him riled up. Corruption, illogical state projects (Cactus farm in Kenyir, anyone?) and haphazard town planning were some of the few.

“Do you know that they are planning to build low cost flats on Redang? On the islands!”

And did I know that Terengganu had a zoo? There had been no proper study or planning, he said. The zoo was not even in Kuala Terengganu but in Kemaman. It was not tourist friendly and the Kemaman heat would be unbearable for the animals. “I admit, the zoo was done very well. It’s pretty but… logistically…”

Tengku Paduka opened an exercise book, his notes neatly written in it. They looked like handwritten minutes. “I have a lot of friends in Umno, even now,” he smiled.

The issue was simple: PAS or the Opposition must control Putrajaya. When they come into power, they can focus on the big issues. He could only comment on his state.

“Umno has been in power for so long, but tengok rakyat orang Terengganu. They have not progressed. What does this say then about the ruling party?”

Not everything completed by Umno was bad, but the current mentri besar had strange ideas for development. A duty free zone in the middle of the Kenyir jungle? To sell what, he asked. Kenyir is best as a national park. He shook his head.

“I love Terengganu. I want to help,” he said, before he left to greet another visitor.

 ***

A two-day trip did not suffice.  My last appointment was with the richest bomoh I had ever met. He laughed when I told him about my assignment.

“You balik masa pilihanraya nanti. Then you will see. PAS ke Umno ke, they’ll be coming in droves. All want to win. Rakyat?” He laughed harshly.

* This is the personal opinion of the columnist