By Zainal Epi
GUA MUSANG, Oct 4 (Malaysiaaktif): - Some say loyalty has an expiry date, some say no. But for MP for Gua Musang Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah, loyalty has no expiry date so long as a person does not go baack on his promises or words.
This was reflected in Galas when Barisan Nasional (BN) wrested the state seat from PAS by a bigger majority of 1190 votes, nearly double the majority PAS won in 2008 general election.
Leading the charge was Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah, fondly known as Ku LI, who is no alien to the voters in the state seat of Galas, under the Gua Musang Parliamentary seat.
Ku Li has proven to BN particularly Umno that the party need not spent money to win votes, the party need not promise the stars and the moon to convince people, the party need not show its power through constructing fast projects or commonly known as ‘maggie projects’ to show its ability.
Ku Li showed to BN and Umno that the core ingredient to win the hearts and minds of the voters is loyalty and trust, and more importantly is credibility of a leader, in this case loyalty and trust to him from the voters.
The eight days campaign period saw no new buildings erected, no openings of schools or new projects, no resurfacing of roads and repairing bridges, no handing out cash or whatsoever.
The campaign also saw no ministers officiating functions where the escorts or convoy of flashy and expensive cars following them, jamming the roads that interrupted the slow pace and peaceful lives of the locals.
The campaign trail also saw speakers of both rival parties avoid ‘hitting below the belt’ such as character assassinations, raising national issues and derogatory comments.
And a battle could be won by just being normal without any fuss, without the need to raise voices and hurting each other’s feelings.
Ku Li worked on his personality and charms, more importantly the loyalty and trust of the people whom he had served the past 40 years or so as an MP.
Facing obstacles from within his own Umno division where former assemblyman Mohd Soufi Deraman and Wanita chief Datuk Wan Huzani Mohd Nor planned to boycott but decided to just just low, Ku Li marched slowly from house-to-house and small gatherings to strengthen ties and renew old contacts.
Voters of this remote constituency in Kelantan have known Ku Li since 1971 and they have been loyal to him in his ups and down.
Ku Li had tested the voters’ loyalty in 1990 when he led Semangat 46, a splinter party of Umno and the result was loyalty stayed as they vvoted him in against the ruling BN.
And this time around, he again tested the voters’ loyalty against the ruling PAS state government and they followed him.
Not only the Orang Asli renewed their loyalty to him, even the Chinese came back without being promised funds for Chinese schools and the pocketful of Indians return to be loyal without any gifts.
Such is Ku Li’s charms that even PAS speakers did not go out of the way to hurt his feelings through character assassinations or whatsoever.
In short, BN’s victory in Galas is actually Ku Li’s victory in assessing the voters’ loyalty to him and to the party he has helped to build since early 70s.
Ku Li has also proven to Umno and BN he is not a person the party could dispense anytime and easily as his capability has yet to be used to the optimum.
He has delivered Galas to BN and Umno without much cost and fuss.
Now he waits, although Ku Li does not asked nor wants anything, what BN and Umno would have to offer.
